The Road to the NIT Finals - Nittany Lions vs. Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-14 SU, 11-18 ATS, 12-16 O/U) and the Penn State Nittany Lions (25-11 SU, 16-12-1 ATS, 13-15-1 O/U) will both be looking to advance when in the annual National Invitational Tournament when they battle tonight at Madison Square Garden in the semifinal round.

Notre Dame defeated Kentucky 77-67 in the tourney quarterfinals, covering the spread as 3.5-point home favorites while the 144 combined points played as a push against the 144-point O/U total.

Talented junior forward Luke Harangody recorded a stellar double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Penn State handled Florida in their quarterfinal matchup last Tuesday, winning 71-62 to narrowly cover the spread as 10.5-point road underdogs while the final score played under the 136-point Over/Under total.

Senior forward Jamelle Cornley recorded an impressive double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NCAAB Free Pick.

The Fighting Irish are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 Tuesday games.

The Fighting Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.

The Nittany Lions are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games.

The Nittany Lions are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.

The Under is 6-0 in Fighting Irish last 6 neutral site games as a favorite.

The Over is 6-1 in Nittany Lions last 7 games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5.

NCAAB Odds

Notre Dame -4½ -110

Penn State +4½ -110

Over 139 -110

Under 139 -110

Analysis: This game should be an absolute thriller tonight, but I like the Penn State Nittany Lions to cover the spread, likely by picking up the outright win over a Notre Dame team that disappointed all season long after getting of to a solid start. If you haven’t seen Penn State sophomore point guard Taylor Battle, tonight’s contest will be a real treat.

I also like the Under in this matchup with these two teams averaging – and allowing – less combined points than tonight’s set O/U total.

NCAAB Free Picks: Penn State +4½ Points/Under 139 Total Points