Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan State Spartans college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Analyzing Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan State Spartans sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Michigan State Spartans (16-6) host the Penn State Nittany Lions (16-5) for a Big Ten conference game in the Breslin Center Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET. We analyze the Penn State-Michigan State odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Penn State at Michigan State: Three things you need to know

  1. The recruited talent discrepancy is eye-popping:  Michigan State has nine RSCI Top-100 recruits on their roster, while Penn State has none.
  2. Penn State has won four straight games, including three by double-digits, and their current No. 22 AP ranking is Penn State’s highest since 1995-96.
  3. Michigan State has been inconsistent recently—going 3-3 over its past six games with a 64-63 loss to Wisconsin on February 1. However, Michigan State is still tied will Illinois atop the Big Ten with an 8-3 conference record.

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Penn State at Michigan State: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:15 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Michigan State 74, Penn State 63

Moneyline (ML)

Michigan State has played much better than Penn State against conference foes. The Spartans have a 8.8 margin of victory compared to the Nittany Lions’ .2 margin of victory against Big Ten teams. Plus the Nittany Lions are 0-6 at Michigan State with five double-digit losses since 2011.

But, the money line is both too chalky to warrant a wager on Michigan State’s (-400) side and too much of a gamble for Penn State (+310) given their slim chances of pulling off an upset at the Spartans’ home.

PASS on the moneyline in Penn State-Michigan State.

Against the Spread (ATS)

There are plenty of trendy reasons to BET MICHIGAN STATE -8.5 (-110) in this spot. The Spartans have exceeded bookmakers’ expectations at home so far this year:  Michigan State is 9-2 ATS at home and 6-2 ATS against teams above .500. Also, Michigan State is 2-0 ATS when laying 7-9.5 points and Penn State is 0-1 ATS when getting 7-9.5 points. 

Additionally, the matchup edge heavily favors the Spartans. Michigan State is third in the country in opponent’s 3-point percentage and ninth in rebounds per game. Conversely, Penn State is ranked 250th in 3-point percentage and 275th in opponent’s rebounds per game. The Spartans will force the Nittany Lions into tough shots and clean the glass once they miss those shots.

Over/Under (O/U)

TAKE UNDER 143.5 (-104) in Penn State-Michigan State. Both teams have played in games recently that’s went under bookmakers’ projections. The Spartans’ Over/Under record is 0-6-1 in their last seven games overall and the last three Nittany Lions games have went under as well. Also, the under has cashed in three of the last four Penn State-Michigan State games.

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