Penn State Nittany Lions vs Northwestern Wildcats Picks and Predictions for Tuesday March 10 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 03/10/2026, 01:50 AM ET

The Penn State Nittany Lions face the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten Tournament First Round at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET and the game will be televised on Peacock. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free college basketball picks for more daily predictions and expert analysis.

Nittany Lions Looking to End Difficult Season on a High Note

Penn State enters the Big Ten Tournament with a 12-19 overall record and a 3-17 mark in conference play. The Nittany Lions have struggled recently as they recently lost to Rutgers 74-62, recently lost to Ohio State 94-62, recently won over Iowa 71-69, recently lost to Nebraska 87-64, and recently lost to Rutgers 85-72.

Penn State averages 74.3 points per game while allowing 79.5 points per contest this season. The Nittany Lions shoot 47% from the field and average 29.0 rebounds per game while producing 12.6 assists per contest. Defensively they contribute 1.6 blocks and 7.1 steals per game.

One of the main challenges for Penn State this season has been defense. Allowing nearly 80 points per game has made it difficult to stay competitive, especially against teams capable of controlling the pace and generating efficient offense.

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Wildcats Hoping to Carry Momentum into Tournament

Northwestern enters the Big Ten Tournament with a 13-18 overall record and a 5-15 mark in conference play. The Wildcats have had mixed results recently as they recently lost to Minnesota 67-66, recently lost to Purdue 70-66, recently won over Oregon 63-62, recently won over Indiana 72-68, and recently won over Maryland 78-74.

Northwestern averages 73.2 points per game while allowing 72.2 points per contest this season. The Wildcats shoot 46% from the field and average 30.9 rebounds per game while producing a strong 17.0 assists per contest.

Northwestern’s ball movement has been a key strength throughout the season. Their high assist numbers highlight a team that relies on teamwork and efficient offensive execution to generate scoring opportunities.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs Northwestern Wildcats Pick

Penn State vs Northwestern Pick

Northwestern Wildcats Moneyline

Northwestern enters this matchup with better defensive numbers and stronger recent momentum. The Wildcats have won three of their last five games and tend to control the tempo more effectively than Penn State. With Northwestern’s stronger defensive play and efficient ball movement, they should have the advantage in this matchup.

Penn State vs Northwestern Total Pick

Take the Over if the total is set at 146

I expect this game to feature a moderate pace with both teams capable of scoring. Penn State allows nearly 80 points per game and Northwestern has shown they can generate efficient offense through ball movement. Because of that, I think the scoring could push this game toward the over.

Final Score Prediction: Northwestern 77, Penn State 72

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