Penn State vs. Rutgers betting: College basketball preview for Feb. 18

Data Skrive
Data Skrive

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-15, 3-11 Big Ten) are 4.5-point underdogs as they attempt to end an eight-game road losing streak when they take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (11-15, 2-13 Big Ten) on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at Bryce Jordan Center. The matchup airs at 6 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. The matchup’s over/under is set at 149.5.

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Penn State Cover -4.5 vs Rutgers -113

Bet $20, Payout $37.70

Penn State vs. Rutgers betting lines

  • Penn State moneyline odds to win: -214
  • Rutgers moneyline odds to win: +171
  • Spread: Penn State (-4.5)
  • Total: 149.5

Penn State statistics, trends and more

As the home team

  • Penn State owns a worse record against the spread in home games (6-8-0) than it does on the road (4-5-0).
  • The Nittany Lions have gone over the total in seven of 14 home games (50%). They’ve fared better in road games, going over the total in seven of nine matchups (77.8%).
  • As a moneyline favorite, Penn State has an identical winning percentage when playing at home compared to when playing away from home (1.000).

Recent trends

  • The Nittany Lions have been racking up 71.1 points per game in their last 10 times on the court, an average that’s slightly lower than the 75.4 they’ve scored over the course of the 2025-26 campaign.
  • Penn State’s defense has been more porous lately, as the team has allowed 84.8 points per game during its past 10 compared to the 79.0 points per game its opponents are averaging this season.
  • Over their last 10 outings, the Nittany Lions are making 0.9 fewer three-pointers per game than their season long average (6.3 compared to 7.2 season-long), while also shooting a lower percentage from beyond the arc in that span (30.6% compared to 32.6% season-long).

Penn State betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 11-15-0 (Home: 6-8-0; Away: 4-5-0)
  • ATS Record When Favored by 4.5+: 3-6-0 (As Favorite: 3-6-0; As Underdog: 8-9-0)
  • O-U-P: 15-11-0 (Home: 7-7-0; Away: 7-2-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 9-1 (Home: 7-0; Away: 1-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-14 (Home: 1-6; Away: 1-7)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
46.6 (100th in nation) 49.5 (359th) 26.8 (359th) 30.8 (164th) 12.7 (275th) 9.4 (34th)

Need to know more about sports betting before you put down a wager on Penn State vs. Rutgers? Here’s everything you need to know about how to bet.

Rutgers statistics, trends and more

As the away team

  • Against the spread, Rutgers has been better at home (7-8-0) than away (3-4-0).
  • In terms of the over/under, Scarlet Knights games have gone over nine of 15 times at home (60%), and five of seven on the road (71.4%).
  • This year the Scarlet Knights are 2-5 at home when moneyline underdogs (.286 winning percentage). Away they are 0-7 (.000).

Recent trends

  • Over their last 10 games, the Scarlet Knights are posting 69.6 points per game, 0.4 fewer points than their season average (70.0).
  • Rutgers has fared worse defensively in its last 10 games, giving up 80.3 points per contest, 4.7 more points than its season average of 75.6.
  • Over their previous 10 games, the Scarlet Knights are sinking 7.1 three-pointers per game, 0.5 more than their season average (6.6). They also own a better three-point percentage over their past 10 games (32.1%) compared to their season average (32.0%).

Rutgers betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 12-13-0 (Home: 7-8-0; Away: 3-4-0)
  • ATS Record When Underdog by 4.5+: 10-7-0 (As Favorite: 2-6-0; As Underdog: 10-7-0)
  • O-U-P: 15-10-0 (Home: 9-6-0; Away: 5-2-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 7-1 (Home: 7-1; Away: 0-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 3-14 (Home: 2-5; Away: 0-7)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
41.0 (347th in nation) 45.2 (250th) 31.5 (228th) 32.6 (270th) 11.1 (344th) 10.3 (101st)
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