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The Texas Longhorns will attempt to make it to their first trip to the second weekend since 2008 on Saturday when they take on the red-hot Nittany Lions of Penn State. The Longhorns dispatched of Colgate by 20 in the first round, while Penn State pulled a slight upset defeating Texas A&M by 17. The Longhorns enter the game as a (-6.5) favorite, with a total currently set at 140.5 points. The contest is scheduled for a 7:45 PM EST tip-off from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA, and will be broadcast on CBS.

We will now preview the game plus our betting prediction for this Round of 64 contest. Keep reading for college basketball betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Penn State vs Texas.

2023 March Madness Round of 32 Game
No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 2 Texas Longhorns Betting Preview

When: Saturday, March 18 at 5:15 pm ET
Where: Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, IA
TV / Streaming: CBS

Penn State Nittany Lions Team Overview

As stated above, the Nittany Lions enter the second round of the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won nine of their last eleven. In Thursday’s dominating performance against Texas A&M, Micah Shrewsberry’s club shot a red-hot 13-22 from behind the three-point line and scored 1.29 points per possession on offense. Andrew Funk led the way with 27 points and drilled eight of his ten three-point attempts.

Star Jalen Pickett was also fantastic in the game, scoring 19 points while also handing out eight assists and snatching six rebounds, and did not record a turnover. Seth Lundy struggled with his jumper, going just 2-7 from deep but managed to chip in with ten points.

The Nittany Lions continue to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten against the spread this season, improving to 21-13-2 on the season. They are covering nearly 62% of the time and defeating the anticipated margin by 1.8 points per contest.

Texas Longhorns Team Overview

Rodney Terry has already done something at Texas that former coach Chris Beard was unable to do, and that is get the Horns out of the first round alive. Texas took care of pesky Colgate squad to avoid the same fate as fellow two seed Arizona which fell to Princeton earlier in the day.

Sir’Jabari Rice led the Longhorns in scoring with 23 points off the bench and had plenty of help as three other Texas players managed to get into double digits. Marcus Carr tossed in 17 points and combined with Rice to go 11-16 from behind the three-point line.

With the cover Texas moved above .500 on the season against the spread at 18-17. The Horns have covered six consecutive games and appear to be finding their stride.

Nittany Lions vs Longhorns Betting Odds and Prediction

Both teams are red-hot right now, and this could be the best matchup of the second round. With a lot of star power on both sides, there is no clear advantage other than size. Texas has size in the paint, and that is one thing that Micah Schrewsberry’s club clearly lacks. If the Longhorns can punish the Lions on the boards and hold Jalen Pickett’s supporting cast in check, Texas wins this game. The Longhorns cover this number, but you’re likely going to sweat it out.

March Madness Pick: Texas | Bet Penn State vs. Texas Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game