No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Monday, 1/7/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: Big Ten Network
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -17.5
Current Betting Line: Indiana -17
Opening Total: 138
Current Total: 138
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Indiana has won four consecutive games since suffering its only setback of the season to Butler, but it hasn’t played since a 69-65 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes as seven-point road favorites on New Year’s Eve. The Hoosiers shot a season-low 40 percent from the field in that affair, as guard Jordan Hulls missed all 10 of his shots from the floor. “He has had a great week,” commented Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean after a practice during the team’s long layoff. Indiana is 8-4 ATS as a favorite this year, which is important to consider when making your college basketball picks against the spread Monday night.
The Hoosiers lead the nation in averaging 87.9 points per game, while outscoring foes by an average of 28.3. Indiana is the only team in the Big Ten Conference with five players averaging 11 points or better per game, with Preseason National Player of the Year Cody Zeller leading the way. Hulls should have a bounce-back performance, considering he averaged 20.7 points and made 13 of 22 shots from beyond the arc against the Nittany Lions during the 2011-12 campaign.
Penn State had its four-game win streak snapped in a disappointing 60-51 setback to the Wisconsin Badgers as 18-point road underdogs, while going UNDER the posted total of 123.5. The Nittany Lions will need to defend the perimeter against one of the best shooting teams in the nation, as they allowed the Hoosiers to knock down 53.4 percent of their 3-point shots in three meetings last year. Penn State is 1-3 ATS as an underdog this year, which is important to note when looking over the college basketball odds page.
The Nittany Lions are 1-11 versus ranked teams during the Patrick Chambers era, including losses in eight straight. Penn State has compiled a solid 7-1 record at home this season, while posting seven straight games shooting over 40 percent from the floor, which is quite a contrast from failing to do so in the first six games of the season. Guards D.J. Newbill and Jermaine Marshall are the players to watch on the offensive end, combining to average 30.4 points per game.
Sports bettors will likely back the Nittany Lions due to the home team covering the last four meetings in this series.
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