It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Penn State-Indiana prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Penn State-Indiana.
The Indiana Hoosiers are back in the bubble conversation. They produced a remarkable 28-3 run at the start of the second half on Sunday to beat rival Purdue and revive hopes for an NCAA Tournament berth. Indiana was down 12 at halftime and looked dead in the water, but the Hoosiers played their best half of basketball of the season and turned things around. Coach Mike Woodson is not coming back next season, which has had the effect of motivating players and taking pressure off them. Indiana has been a better team since it was confirmed that Woodson would not coach the team beyond this season. Indiana has not only beaten Purdue; it has also beaten Big Ten co-leader Michigan State on the road. The Hoosiers looked overwhelmed by pressure before Woodson agreed to step down. Now they look inspired, wanting to give their coach the right sendoff as the school makes a huge and defining hire of a new head coach.
Indiana absolutely must win this game at home versus Penn State. The Nittany Lions have sunk to the lower tier of the Big Ten. They have not been a good team for most of the past month. If IU loses at home to the Nittany Lions, it would exert a negative, downward pull on the Hoosiers’ overall odds of being called on Selection Sunday, which is two and a half weeks away. The margins are small, and Indiana can’t afford to lose to inferior teams.
Here are the Penn State-Indiana College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Penn State-Indiana Odds
Penn State: +4.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +168
Indiana: -4.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -205
Over: 151.5 (-115)
Under: 151.5 (-105)
How to Watch Penn State vs Indiana
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Penn State Will Cover The Spread/Win
One has the feeling that Indiana might have a letdown after the big Purdue performance. It would be entirely in character for Indiana to be inconsistent and exasperating, because that is a good, short summary of the Mike Woodson era in general. This is less about Penn State itself, much more about Indiana being unreliable and not handling situations such as this one with the businesslike mindset and overall clarity needed to get the job done.
Why Indiana Will Cover The Spread/Win
First off, Penn State is not a good team. The Nittany Lions are nowhere close to the NCAA Tournament conversation in the Big Ten. They have stumbled around for a majority of the conference season and offer no compelling reason to suggest they are going to win this game.
As for Indiana, the Hoosiers’ performance against Purdue inspired real hope that this team might be finding itself and rounding into form just before it’s too late. Indiana woke up just in the nick of time versus Purdue. IU played a complete second half. It wasn’t just the domination of Purdue which stood out; Indiana played with a level of effort and a team-wide hunger which had been missing for most of the season. If Indiana plays with that hunger and intensity here, Penn State is highly unlikely to keep pace over 40 minutes. The spread is not that large, either.
Final Penn State-Indiana Prediction & Pick
Indiana winning this game by six or seven points seems very realistic and not a reach. Take Indiana.
Final Penn State-Indiana Prediction & Pick: Indiana -4.5
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