Northwestern vs. Penn State Dunkel Predictions & Vegas Odds - Jan. 29

The Northwestern Wildcats (9-11, 1-8 Big Ten) host the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-11, 0-9 Big Ten) at Welsh-Ryan Arena, starting at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 29, 2026. The Wildcats are 7.5-point favorites in the game. The point total for the matchup is set at 150.

In its last time out, Northwestern lost 71-64 to UCLA on Saturday. In the losing effort, Nick Martinelli led Northwestern with 20 points. Penn State's last contest on Monday ended in an 84-78 loss to Ohio State. Penn State got a team-best 20 points from Eli Rice in the loss.

Northwestern vs. Penn State Odds and Game Time

• When: Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET
• Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois
• Spread favorite: Northwestern -7.5
• Moneyline favorite: Northwestern -352
• Moneyline underdog: Penn State +273
• Over/Under: 150 points

How to watch Northwestern vs. Penn State

• TV Channel: Peacock
• Check out the rest of our Dunkel Index NCAA Basketball Picks!

Betting the Over/Under: Northwestern vs. Penn State

• Northwestern and its opponents have hit the over on this game's total (150 points) 10 times this season.
• In Penn State's 20 games this season, 11 finished with more combined points than Thursday's total of 150.
• The total for the matchup of 150 is 3.1 points fewer than the combined points per game averages for the Wildcats (76.5) and Nittany Lions (76.6).
• These two teams surrender a combined 149.5 points per game, 0.5 points less than this contest's over/under.
• Northwestern has seen a 148.2 average over/under in its games this season, 1.8 less than the over/under in this contest.
• A difference of 4.4 points separates the average over/under in Penn State's games (154.4 points) and this contest's over/under (150).

Betting the Spread: Northwestern vs. Penn State

• Northwestern has seven wins against the spread in 20 games this year.
• The Wildcats are 3-3 ATS when favored by 7.5 points or more this season.
• Penn State has eight wins against the spread in 20 games this season.
• The Nittany Lions have been underdogs by 7.5 points or more six times this year and are 5-1 ATS in those contests.
• Northwestern is 6-4 overall, and 3-7 against the spread, at home.
• At home, as a 7.5-point favorite or greater, Northwestern is 3-3 ATS.
• This year on the road, Penn State is 3-2 against the spread and 1-4 overall.
• Penn State is unbeaten ATS (1-0) as 7.5-point underdogs or more away from home.

Betting the Moneyline: Northwestern vs. Penn State

• This season, Northwestern has won eight out of the 12 games, or 66.7%, in which it has been the moneyline favorite.
• The Wildcats have entered six games this season favored by -352 or more, and won each of those games.
• The moneyline for this contest implies a 77.9% chance of a victory for Northwestern.
• Penn State has been moneyline underdogs in 10 games this season, however, it has failed to come away with a win in any of those games.
• The Nittany Lions have yet to win this season when listed as an underdog of +273 or worse on the moneyline this season.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Penn State has a 26.8% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.