A pair of struggling Big Ten schools face off in Evanston on Wednesday night, where the Northwestern Wildcats host the Penn State Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions are winless in conference play, but my Penn State vs. Northwestern predictions expect them to keep things competitive tonight.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this clash on January 29.
Penn State vs Northwestern prediction
Penn State vs Northwestern best bet: Penn State +7.5 (-110)
As bad as the Penn State Nittany Lions have been, this is too many points to spot the Northwestern Wildcats, who are just 1-8 in conference play.
The Nittany Lions are fresh off a 6-point road loss to an Ohio State squad that is clearly better than Northwestern. They also had four games against Top 15 teams that were decided by fewer than 8.5 points.
PSU is 21st in the country in turnover rate, and its ability to attack the rim will lead to points since Northwestern struggles to defend inside. In addition, Northwestern's atrocious 3-point shooting (31%) will make it hard to pull away.
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Penn State vs Northwestern same-game parlay
Kayden Mingo has been held below 10 points in back-to-back games, but the freshman point guard still leads PSU with 14.0 ppg. He should bounce back against a Northwestern squad that doesn't pressure ball-handlers.
Nick Martinelli has been Northwestern's lone bright spot. The senior forward is fourth in the country in scoring (23.4 ppg) on 54/48/80 shooting splits. He'll put up points against a PSU squad that is 239th in the country in adjusted defense — the lowest rating among power conference schools.
Penn State vs Northwestern SGP
- Penn State +7.5
- Kayden Mingo Over 12.5 points
- Nick Martinelli Over 24.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Mingo is his name-o
Martinelli has eclipsed 1.5 threes in four of his last six games, and PSU is 360th in the country in 3-point defense (41%) since the start of December.
Penn State vs Northwestern SGP
- Penn State +7.5
- Kayden Mingo Over 12.5 points
- Nick Martinelli Over 24.5 points
- Nick Martinelli Over 1.5 threes
Penn State vs Northwestern odds
- Spread: Penn State +7.5 | Northwestern -7.5
- Moneyline: Penn State +290 | Northwestern -370
- Over/Under: Over 150 | Under 150
Penn State vs Northwestern betting trend to know
The Nittany Lions have covered the spread in seven of their last 11 away games (+2.55 Units / 21% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Penn State vs. Northwestern.
How to watch Penn State vs Northwestern
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL |
| Date | Thursday, January 26, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Peacock |
Penn State vs Northwestern key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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