Preview: Penn State vs. Nebraska Basketball: TV Time, Channel, Odds

Penn State’s season-long woes continued on Wednesday with a 13-point home loss to Rutgers. It took the Nittany Lions more than six minutes to score their first points, and coach Mike Rhoades said the team lacked energy at the start of the game despite having a strong shootaround earlier that afternoon. 

Penn State (2-14 Big Ten) has only two conference wins, against Minnesota at home and Washington on the road. The Nittany Lions have played six of their last nine contests on the road. But they're also looking for their first road win over a top-10 team since 2009.

“I take great pride in trying to go on the road and beat somebody in their own gym, and I’ve always been like that,” Rhoades said earlier this week. “So when you go on the road, we’re on a mission to accomplish that because I think it’s one of the hardest things to do in college basketball.”

One bright spot for Penn State has been getting steals. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten, averaging 7.3 steals per game. Freshman guard Kayden Mingo leads all Big Ten players with 2.25 steals per game, which ranks him in the top 20 nationwide. 

However, Penn State has suffered when turning over the ball early in games. Poor ball security has allowed opponents to get double-digit leads early, making comebacks difficult.  

“Looking up and seeing we’re down by so much, you know, makes us anxious to make a play and get the game back to one possession,” Mingo said after the loss to Rutgers.

About the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska started the season 20-0 and 9-0 in the conference before losing back-to-back games to Michigan and Illinois. Nebraska (11-4 Big Ten) now has lost four of its last six games, including a 57-52 loss at Iowa on Tuesday. 

Pryce Sandfort leads the Huskers, averaging 17.3 points per game. Rienk Mast, Braden Frager and Jamarques Lawrence average in double figures as well. This is a tough matchup for Penn State, considering Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring defense (65.6 points per game). Penn State, meanwhile, ranks last (79.2 ppg).

After Saturday’s matchup, Penn State will have a week off before facing Iowa on Feb. 28 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.