Penn State Is a Big Ten Basketball Favorite for the First Time This Season

The Nittany Lions host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights as slight favorites in their Big Ten matchup.

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo (4) moves with the ball as USC Trojans guard Jordan Marsh (7) defends during the second half at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

After splitting games with Washington and Oregon on its road trip to the Pacific Northwest, Penn State is back in the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday to face Rutgers for the first time this season. Penn State is a Big Ten favorite for the first time this season.

“We have to get to work and get better here this week,” Nittany Lions coach Mike Rhoades said. “Rutgers had a good win the other day [against Maryland] and Rutgers will come in here fired up to play and we gotta be ready to go.”

The Nittany Lions and Scarlet Knights will also meet in early March to close out the regular season. Last year, Penn State and Rutgers split the series with each team winning at home. Both games were decided by single digits. Penn State does have a 30-11 home advantage over the Scarlet Knights. 

Here’s how to watch, and what to watch, when Penn State hosts Rutgers.

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How to watch, stream Penn State vs. Rutgers

Tipoff for the Penn State-Rutgers game is slated for 6 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network with Jason Horowitz and Jordan Taylor on the call. The game can be streamed on the Fox Sports app.

Fans also can tune into the radio call with Steve Jones and Dick Jerardi on the Penn State Sports Network.

What is the Penn State vs. Rutgers betting line?

Penn State is favored in a Big Ten game for the first time this season. The Nittany Lions are 3.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings, with the over/under set at 149.5.

Penn State also ranks above a Big Ten opponent for the first time this season. The Nittany Lions are 122nd in the NCAA NET rankings and 126th in the KenPom ratings. Rutgers is 155th and 153rd, respectively.

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About the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Nittany Lions guard Kayden Mingo slides through the Oregon Ducks defense for a basket during the first half at Matthew Knight Arena. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State has won two of its last five games to earn its first Big Ten victories of the season. The Nittany Lions defeated Minnesota two weeks ago and Washington on the road last week. Both wins were narrowly decided in the final minute of action. 

The Nittany Lions have been inconsistent, though, and Rhoades has harped on the importance of playing with the mentality of “the next play.”

“If a play doesn’t go your way, it’s how you respond, not how you react,” Rhoades said. “Reacting doesn’t have you ready for the next play.”

Penn State (2-13 Big Ten) has particularly struggled with its 3-point defense. In their most recent game against Oregon, the Nittany Lions allowed the Ducks to shoot over 52 percent from beyond the arc with 14 3-pointers. Penn State made just six. On average, Penn State conceded 10 shots from distance each game.

“Getting in rotation very early in the clock gets you behind,” Rhoades said. “When that jump ball gets moving, you’re late. Look, there’s good players, so the more open they are, the easier it is to shoot it. I think that part of it has been the hardest thing for our defense.”

Offensively, freshman guard Kayden Mingo is coming off a 24-point performance that tied his career-high. Although Mingo missed time in January with an injury, his presence on the court has been pivotal as a facilitator during instances when he isn’t leading the team in points.

Freddie Dilione V and Josh Reed have put up strong numbers over the past few weeks, consistently reaching double figures. Rebounding has been another key concern for Penn State this season, but Rhoades said it has been getting better.

“We rebound better now than we did earlier in the year, even against non-conference [teams],” Rhoades said. “We may be getting out-rebounded, but I think we are rebounding better just because we worked on it.”

Some Big Ten teams, notably Michigan, put Penn State at an extra disadvantage because of their size. The Nittany Lions are comparatively smaller, and Rhoades wants to see more physicality from his guards to keep opponents off the glass.

About the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Tariq Francis dribbles up court against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at Jersey Mike's Arena. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Rutgers (3-11 Big Ten) heads to Penn State following an 11-point win over Maryland on Sunday, but the Scarlet Knights have yet to win on the road this season. Rutgers held Maryland to 57 points, the first time it kept a Big Ten opponent under 60 points since 2024. 

The Scarlet Knights are much different this season after Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey were selected in last year’s NBA draft. Both players put up strong numbers in each matchup against Penn State last season.

This year, Tariq Francis leads offensively, averaging 16.6 points per game. He scored 21 against Maryland for his eighth 20-plus game of the year. 

Francis is also reliable from the charity stripe and is 13 free throws away from breaking into the top-20 on Rutgers single-season list. He has missed 13 free throws all season and is 89.7 percent from the line. He made 12 free throws against Maryland, tying a Rutgers single-game record.

Harun Zrno will test the Nittany Lions from distance; he was 3-5 from beyond the arc against Maryland and has made at least three 3-pointers in nine games this season. 

On the glass, Penn State needs to watch out for Emmanuel Ogbole. The 6-10 center leads the team in rebounding (6.6 per game) and has pulled down at least nine rebounds in eight games this season. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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