The George Mason Patriots (5-6) will be at home in EagleBank Arena when they challenge the Penn State Nittany Lions (8-3). The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 144.5 points with Penn State set as an 11.5-point favorite. Action begins at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 17, 2017.
Penn State Nittany Lions at George Mason Patriots Free Preview
In the Nittany Lions last outing, they won big over the George Washington Colonials, 74-54. With 15 points and 12 rebounds, Mike Watkins played well for Penn State. Penn State dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a ridiculous offensive rebounding percentage of 44.1 (above their season average of 34.0) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.542 (above their season average of 0.511). For those same stats, George Washington was 18.2 and 0.385, respectively.
The Patriots are trying to rebound after their 74-51 loss to the Georgia Southern Eagles in their last matchup. A.J. Wilson led George Mason in scoring with 13 points on 3-for-7 shooting. Georgia Southern forced the Patriots into a turnover percentage of 24.2 (above their season average of 17.4). George Mason, meanwhile, had a free throw rate of 0.268 (above their season average of 0.235).
George Mason might have trouble finding the bottom of the net as they battle against one of the NCAA’s best defenses. Penn State ranks 34th in defensive efficiency while the Patriots rank 298th in offensive efficiency.
Games including these teams have a tendency to finish under the O/U total. Penn State games have gone under 77.8 percent of the time, while George Mason games have finished under 62.5 percent of the time. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Nittany Lions have a significant advantage. They are 8-3 SU and 5-3-1 ATS, while the Patriots are 5-6 SU and 3-5 ATS.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Patriots won the sole contest last season, 85-66. The Patriots played a flawless game. They had a superb offensive rebounding percentage of 31.3 and a superb free throw rate of 0.254. For those same stats, the Nittany Lions had marks of 17.1 and 0.197, respectively.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. George Mason Patriots Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Penn State, ATS Winner – Penn State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Nittany Lions rank ninth in steals per game (9.6) while the Patriots rank 114th (6.4).
- Penn State averages 37.5 rebounds per game, which ranks 93rd in the NCAA. George Mason ranks 110th in rebounds allowed per game (34.3).
- On the road, Penn State is 1-2-1 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders.
- George Mason is 0-3 ATS at home with 2 unders and 1 over.
- Penn State ranks 13th in three pointers allowed per game (16.7) while George Mason ranks 189th (23.2).
- The Nittany Lions rank fourth in blocks per game (6.5) while the Patriots rank 127th in blocks allowed per game (3.6).
- Penn State ranks 126th in assists per game (14.1) while George Mason ranks 234th (11.3).
Bettings Trends:
- George Mason is 1-3 ATS with 3 unders and 1 over in their last five games. ,
- Over their last five games, Penn State is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Patriots average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 6.0, up from 3.7 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Nittany Lions have scored an average of 75.6 points per game (3.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 64.8 points per game (1.6 below their season average).
