Teams geared up to make a deep 2023 NCAA Tournament run clash on Saturday when the No. 10 seed Penn State Nittany Lions face the No. 2 seed and Big 12 Conference Tournament champion Texas Longhorns in a Midwest Region second-round matchup in Des Moines, Iowa. The Nittany Lions (23-13, 10-10 Big Ten), who have won nine of 11, including a 76-59 win over Texas A&M in the first round, are making their first tournament appearance since 2011. The Longhorns (27-8, 12-6 Big 12), who have won five straight, are making their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Texas, which defeated Colgate 81-61 on Thursday, has not won two consecutive tournament games since the 2008 season, while Penn State last accomplished that in 2001.
The game from Wells Fargo Arena will tip off at 7:45 p.m. ET on CBS. Penn State is averaging 72.3 points per game, while Texas averages 77.9. The Longhorns are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Penn State vs. Texas odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 137. Before making any Texas vs. Penn State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and March Madness betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division-I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Penn State vs. Texas and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Texas vs. Penn State:
- Penn State vs. Texas spread: Texas -5.5
- Penn State vs. Texas over/under: 137 points
- Penn State vs. Texas money line: Penn State +205, Texas -250
- PSU: The Nittany Lions are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games following an ATS win
- TEX: The Longhorns are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall
- Penn State vs. Texas picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Texas can cover
Senior forward Dylan Disu has been red hot of late, posting a pair of double-doubles in the past four games. In Thursday's win over Colgate, he scored 17 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds. He had 18 points in last Saturday's win over Kansas in the Big 12 Conference Tournament Championship Game. In a 61-47 win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 quarterfinals, he scored 11 points and grabbed 11 boards. He has reached double-digit scoring in eight of his past 10 games. For the season, Disu is averaging 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 assists per game.
Sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter has also been solid. In the regular-season finale, he poured in 20 points in a 75-59 win over Kansas on March 4. He also scored 11 points in the Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinal victory. In Thursday's first-round win over Colgate, he scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds and added two assists with one block and one steal. In 35 starts on the year, Hunter is averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 29.7 minutes.
Why Penn State can cover
Senior guard Jalen Pickett is one of three Nittany Lions averaging double-digit scoring. He has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last six games, and is coming off a monster effort in Thursday's first-round win over Texas A&M. In that game, he scored 19 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds. He has reached double-figure scoring in 33 games, including 13 with 20 or more points, two with 30 or more and one with over 40. For the season, Pickett is averaging 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 36 starts.
Senior guard Seth Lundy is another solid option for the Nittany Lions. He has scored 10 or more points in each of the last five games, including one double-double during that stretch. In a 79-76 Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinal win over Illinois, he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He finished the season with three double-doubles. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. He is connecting on 44.8% of his field goals, including 40.2% from 3-point range, and 80.6% from the free-throw line.
How to make Penn State vs. Texas picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 146 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Penn State vs. Texas? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Penn State vs. Texas spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned nearly $1,300 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
