Texas basketball vs. Penn State: Opening odds for Round of 32
After a dominant win over the seven-seed Texas A&M Aggies in the Round of 64 on the night of March 16, the 10-seed Penn State Nittany Lions will move on to face the two-seed Texas basketball in the Round of 32. Penn State pulled off the most convincing upset on the first day of the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 64 that very few people likely saw coming.
Interim head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns moved onto the Round of 32 by knocking off the 15-seed Colgate Raiders on March 16 in the Round of 64 by a convincing final score of 81-61. Texas moved its record on the season to 27-8 (12-6 Big 12) after the 20-point win over the regular season and Patriot League Tournament champion Colgate. The Longhorns are also onto the Round of 32 for the second straight year.
Meanwhile, Penn State comes into the Round of 32 with a record of 23-13 (10-10 Big Ten) after its dominant 76-59 win over Texas A&M in the Round of 64 in the Midwest Region on March 16. Penn State has won nine of its last 11 games heading into the second round of the Big Dance.
Here’s a look at the opening odds as the two-seed Texas gets set to square off against the 10-seed Penn State on March 18 in the Round of 32 in the Midwest Region.
Texas basketball vs. Penn State: Opening odds for Round of 32 Midwest Region
Texas opens up as a 5.5-point favorite over Penn State (per FanDuel).
The moneyline favors Texas (-230) heavily over Penn State (+188).
According to Kenpom, Texas has a 70 percent chance of beating Penn State. And Kenpom predicts Texas to beat Penn State 75-69.
Texas and Penn State set to square off for the first time
Texas and Penn State haven’t faced each other on the hardwood in the modern era of college hoops. This will also be the first time that Penn State has faced a Big 12 opponent in the NCAA Tournament in the history of its program.
It’s worth noting that the Nittany Lions are playing in the Big Dance for the first time since 2011 and just won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2001 by beating Texas A&M in the Round of 64.
Game information
Texas will face Penn State in the Round of 32 Midwest Region at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA, on March 18, with the tip-off time set for 6:45 p.m. CT.
Next. 2 studs, 1 dud from assertive win over No. 15 Colgate. dark
Texas will look to get one step closer to making it to the Sweet 16 since 2008. Meanwhile, this would be Penn State’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2001 if it can pull off the upset against the Longhorns this weekend.