Halftime Report

A win for Penn State would push their record over .500, and after one quarter of play they've put themselves in a good position to make it happen. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Rider 44-24. This game looks nothing like the tight 71-70 margin from Penn State's win over Rider in their previous head-to-head back in December of 2017.

Penn State came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Rider Broncs @ Penn State Nittany Lions

Current Records: Rider 3-9, Penn State 6-6

How To Watch

What to Know

The Penn State Nittany Lions will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Rider Broncs at 2:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State will be strutting in after a victory while Rider will be stumbling in from a loss.

Last Thursday, the Nittany Lions didn't have too much trouble with the Dolphins at home as they won 72-55.

Penn State's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kanye Clary, who scored 20 points along with six assists and five rebounds. Qudus Wahab was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Rider fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Penn on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 77-73 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Quakers.

The win got the Nittany Lions back to even at 6-6. As for the Broncs, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-9.

Looking ahead, Penn State is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 14 points. Neither team has fared well against the spread this season; they is 4-8, while Rider is 3-8.

Penn State and Rider were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in December of 2017, but Penn State came up empty-handed after a 71-70 defeat. Can Penn State avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.

Odds

Penn State is a big 14-point favorite against Rider, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Nittany Lions as a 13.5-point favorite.


The over/under is set at 146.5 points.

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Series History

Rider won the only game these two teams have played in the last 6 years.

  • Dec 22, 2017 - Rider 71 vs. Penn State 70