Halftime Report

Penn State is giving their home crowd exactly what they were hoping for. They have jumped out to a quick 40-32 lead against Northwestern.

If Penn State keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 9-7 in no time. On the other hand, Northwestern will have to make due with an 11-4 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Northwestern Wildcats @ Penn State Nittany Lions

Current Records: Northwestern 11-3, Penn State 8-7

How To Watch

What to Know

Northwestern is 2-8 against Penn State since January of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. Both teams will face off in a Big Ten battle at 6:30 p.m. ET at Bryce Jordan Center. Both teams worked hard to overcome the odds in their previous battles and are surely both feeling confident heading into this clash.

Last Sunday, the Wildcats were able to grind out a solid victory over the Spartans, taking the game 88-74. The victory was just what Northwestern needed coming off of a 96-66 loss in their prior match.

Northwestern's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Boo Buie led the charge by dropping a double-double on 19 points and ten assists. That's the first time this season that Buie posted ten or more assists. Another player making a difference was Ty Berry, who scored 22 points.

Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions earned a 79-73 win over the Wolverines on Sunday. The victory was just what Penn State needed coming off of a 92-61 loss in their prior match.

Ace Baldwin Jr. was the offensive standout of the matchup as he scored 25 points along with three steals. D'Marco Dunn was another key contributor, scoring 13 points.

The Wildcats are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season. As for the Nittany Lions, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-7.

Keep an eye on the arc in Wednesday's game: Northwestern have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 38.1% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Penn State, though, as they've only made 30.1% of their threes per game this season. Given Northwestern's sizeable advantage in that area, Penn State will need to find a way to close that gap.

As for their next game, Northwestern is expected to win a tight contest, barring any buzzer beaters. Anyone thinking of taking them against the spread should keep this in mind: the team hasn't covered the last four times they've played Penn State.

Odds

Northwestern is a slight 1-point favorite against Penn State, 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 Wildcats as a 1.5-point favorite.


The over/under is set at 141.5 points.

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Series History

Penn State has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Northwestern.

  • Mar 10, 2023 - Penn State 67 vs. Northwestern 65
  • Mar 01, 2023 - Penn State 68 vs. Northwestern 65
  • Feb 25, 2022 - Penn State 67 vs. Northwestern 60
  • Jan 05, 2022 - Penn State 74 vs. Northwestern 70
  • Jan 23, 2021 - Penn State 81 vs. Northwestern 78
  • Mar 07, 2020 - Northwestern 80 vs. Penn State 69
  • Feb 15, 2020 - Penn State 77 vs. Northwestern 61
  • Feb 04, 2019 - Penn State 59 vs. Northwestern 52
  • Mar 01, 2018 - Penn State 65 vs. Northwestern 57
  • Jan 20, 2018 - Northwestern 70 vs. Penn State 61