Penn State Nittany Lions vs Michigan Wolverines Prediction & Match Preview - December 13, 2020

Match Details

Fixture: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Michigan Wolverines - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Sunday, December 13 at 2PM ET

Venue: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Penn State Nittany Lions will head to enemy territory on Sunday and face their long time rival Michigan Wolverines. Both teams have been off to a great start this season, and will be hungry to keep momentum on Sunday. Michigan has won their first five games, but are yet to face a top 25 opponent. The Nittany Lions will be the biggest test of the year thus far for the Wolverines and certainly will not go down without a fight.

Penn State Nittany Lions Preview

The Penn State Nittany Lions have been rapidly developing their basketball program in recent years, moving from a mainstay in the bottom of the Big 10 to a legitimate threat in a span of just five years. This Nittany Lions team has already experienced controversy this year, seeing their head coach of nine seasons resign in October. Jim Ferry, interim head coach, deserves lots of credit for his leadership and direction of this team. Penn State will look to stay hot after a huge 20-point upset of No. 15 Virginia Tech on Tuesday, which brought the team to 3-1 on the year.

Key Player - Seth Lundy

Seth Lundy has been shooting with incredible efficiency this year, averaging nearly 17 points per game on a 50 percent FG percentage. Lundy, a 6'6" sophomore who fluctuates between power foward and shooting guard, could be the difference-maker against the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.

Penn State Nittany Lions Predicted Lineup

John Harrar, Myreon Jones, Seth Lundy, Izaiah Brockington, Jamari Wheeler

Michigan Wolverines Preview

The 5-0 Michigan Wolverines are heading in to Big 10 conference games with lots of confidence. Outscoring their opponents by an average of 17 points per game this season, the Wolverines' offense has outplayed every defense they've seen.

Head coach Juwan Howard has received lots of praise from the college basketball community for his quick adjustments after a ninth place finish in the Big 10 last season. Now in his second season, Howard seems to have settled into his role and has seen quality results from his team thus far.

Key Player- Isaiah Livers

Isaiah Livers has been one of the best shooters in all of college basketball this season, carrying a mind-blowing 57 percent field goal percentage into Sunday's game. Averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists per game, Livers has proven to be the biggest key to the Michigan Wolverines' winning formula.

Big Ten Basketball Tournament - Semifinals

Michigan Wolverines Predicted Lineup

Isaiah Livers, Austin Davis, Hunter Dickinson, Eli Brooks, Mike Smith

Penn State vs. Michigan Prediction

While Michigan has shown strong numbers to begin the season, their strength of schedule has not been all that impressive. Penn State's performance in a decisive win over the ranked Virginia Tech Hokies gives them the slight advantage in this matchup for me. I predict Penn State hands the Michigan Wolverines their first loss of the season, 68-64.