No. 12 Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Sunday, 1/8/12, 12:00 PM EST, TV: N/A
Opening Point Spread: Indiana -7
Current Betting Line: Indiana -6.5
Opening Total: 130
Current Total: 129.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Indiana is coming off home wins against Ohio State and Michigan, heading out on the road for the first time since an 80-65 defeat to the Michigan State Spartans as six-point underdogs on Dec. 28. “We have done a good job of preparing only for the task at hand,” stated Hoosiers head coach Tom Crean. “I think that is a by-product of a maturing, player-led team.” The program will play six of its next nine games away from home, posting a perfect 11-0 mark inside Assembly Hall. Indiana is 6-1 ATS as a favorite this season.
The Hoosiers are shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from three-point range. Freshman Cody Zeller is the main player offensively, averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, being named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week four times. Indiana loves to make things happen on the perimeter, especially with sharp shooter Jordan Hulls, who has hit 32-of-58 attempts from beyond the arc. Indiana shot a season-high 63.6 percent from three-point range in its 73-71 win over the Wolverines as 7.5-point home favorites last time out.
Penn State is certainly coming off its best performance of the season in capturing a 65-45 win over the Purdue Boilermakers as 7.5-point home underdogs. The Nittany Lions dropped five consecutive games against the spread before that contest. Junior point guard Tim Frazier is enjoying a fantastic season, averaging 17.1 points and 6.8 assists per game in playing 35.8 minutes a night. “Tim is playing as well as anyone in the league and he does a great job of getting in the lane as he looks to score or facilitating for others,” stated Crean in preparing for this particular opponent. Penn State is 1-4 ATS as a home underdog of 6.5 to 9 points the last two-plus seasons.
The Nittany Lions have won six of the last seven games in this series, including a 61-55 victory as five-point favorites on March 10. That particular contest was played in the first-round of the Big Ten tournament. Frazier ranks first in the conference in assists and third in scoring.
Bettors will likely back the Hoosiers due to their 8-2 ATS mark in their last 10 games overall, while the Nittany Lions are 1-4 ATS as an underdog.
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