Penn State vs Canisius Prediction, Odds, Line, Spread, and Picks - December 18 | MAAC battle Big Ten | College Basketball
The Canisius Golden Griffins will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in a non-conference matchup on Sunday afternoon. The Griffins are 2-7 for the season and are expected to finish at the bottom of the MAAC.
The Lions are 7-3 for the season and will hope to finish strong in the Big Ten. They defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini in their last game and managed to cover the spread as 10-point underdogs. The Griffins lost against the Toledo Rockets and managed to cover the spread as 17-point underdogs.
Penn State vs Canisius Betting Odds
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Penn State vs Canisius Match Details
Fixture: Canisius Golden Griffins at Penn State Nittany Lions
Date and Time: Sunday, December 18 at 12:00 PM ET
Venue: Bryce Jordan Center, PA
Penn State vs Canisius Key Stats
The Griffins are 0-5 in their last five games and have managed to cover the spread in two of those contests. In their most recent close-game loss to the Rockets, Tahj Staveskie scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Jordan Henderson scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out four assists. Tahj has led the Griffins' roster in points, assists, and steals averages this season.
The Griffins are averaging 72.7 points on 40% shooting while giving up 75.6 points on 47.5% shooting. Offensively, they have shot 36% from beyond the arc and 69.6% from the free throw line, but have been worse defensively as they fail to restrict their opponents from scoring freely. The Griffins need to increase their rebound differential further.
The Lions are 3-2 in their last five games and have only managed to cover the spread in two of those contests. In their most recent win against the Fighting Illini, Jalen Pickett scored 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished six assists, while Andrew Funk scored 20 points and grabbed three rebounds. The rest of the unit also stepped up on the offensive end.
The Lions are averaging 74.7 points per game on 46% shooting while giving up 66.4 points on 41.3% shooting. They are shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc and 77% from the charity stripe, which places them in 14th and 21st place in the country. They are lacking in their defensive might and are finding it difficult to grab rebounds on either side of the court.
Penn State vs Canisius Betting Prediction
This will be a complete blowout, as the Nittany Lions will score at will and will also be able to stop the Griffins' offense with ease.
I don't see any chances for the away team to win this one, so take the Nittany Lions to win this game and cover the spread tonight.
Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions -18.5 (-114)
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