Youngstown St. Penguins vs
Cleveland St. VikingsPredictions & Preview

Cleveland State Vikings Look to Extend Lead in Horizon League with Victory Over Youngstown State Penguins

This weekend, the Youngstown State Penguins (17-10, 11-5 Horizon) will face off against the Cleveland State Vikings (18-8, 12-3 Horizon) in a Horizon League matchup at the Wolstein Center. The Penguins have been on a hot streak, winning three straight games and five of their last six. They currently trail the Vikings by 1 ½ games in the league standings. Meanwhile, Cleveland State suffered a loss to Robert Morris on Wednesday, but they still hold the top spot in the league, ahead of three other teams. Both teams are coming into the game with no reported injuries. Cleveland State is favored to win with an opening line of -4.5, which has since changed to -3.5. For a detailed analysis and expert predictions on this matchup, read more to potentially win big on your NCAAB picks.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Penguins +143 | Vikings -178
• Spread: Penguins +3.5 (-110) | Vikings -3.5 (-110)
• Total: Over/Under 142.25 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Cleveland St. will win straight-up is 64%.

Youngstown St. vs Cleveland St. Stats

Youngstown St. Penguins

Youngstown State Penguins have shown solid offensive performance this season, scoring an average of 77.4 points per game and hitting 43.6% of their field goals. Defensively, they allow an average of 71.4 points per game and have held opponents to 42.2% shooting. EJ Farmer leads the team in scoring with an average of 15.3 points per game, while Nico Galette contributes 12.1 points per game and leads in assists with 3.0 per game. Galette also leads in rebounds with 7.0 per game and steals with 1.3 per game. Gabe Dynes is a key player in defense, averaging 3.1 blocked shots per game. Overall, Youngstown State has a power ranking of 75 and a record of 17-10 this season. Their strengths lie in offensive scoring and rebounding, while they look to improve their three-point shooting and defensive consistency.

Cleveland St. Vikings Analysis

The Cleveland State Vikings have shown strong defensive prowess, ranking 30th in the nation by allowing an average of 65.12 points per game. Offensively, they score an average of 74.36 points per game, ranking 181st. Their field goal shooting percentage is 45.41% and they shoot 34.08% from three-point range. Tevin Smith leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.0 points per game, while Ebrima Dibba leads in assists with 4.0 per game. Dylan Arnett is a key player in rebounding, averaging 7.5 boards per game. Chase Robinson leads in steals and KJ Debrick in blocked shots. On defense, they allow opponents to shoot 42.27% from the field and 33.21% from beyond the arc. The Vikings have a power ranking of 40 and a record of 18-8 overall. In their last 3 matchups, they have struggled against Youngstown St., who went 3-0.

Cleveland State's Strong Defense Shines in Victory Against Youngstown State

The Cleveland State Vikings are known for their strong defense, allowing an average of 65.2 points per game on 42.1% shooting. In their previous matchup on January 11, Cleveland State emerged victorious against Youngstown State with a score of 80-72, even covering the spread as 4.5-point road underdogs. Despite Youngstown State's average of 77.4 points per game, their rankings of 247th in field goal shooting and 311th in three-point shooting may prove challenging against Cleveland State's formidable defense. Recently, Youngstown State has struggled to cover the spread, only succeeding in three of their last nine games and one of the past five games against Cleveland State. Conversely, the Vikings have covered the spread in 10 of their last 14 games overall and in 13 of their last 18 games against Horizon League teams.

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