Gavitt Tipoff Games Monday Handicap: Butler Vs. Penn State

Butler Bulldogs (1-0) play the Big Ten's Penn State Nittany Lions (2-1) on the first night of the Gavitt Tipoff Games. The all-time series is tied 24-24. Last season, the Big East beat the big Ten 6-2.

Butler is a favorite against Penn State. The Nittany Lions are a big favorite despite having a bigger following and alumni. Butler easily covered as 18.5-point favorites in its season-opening win vs. the New Orleans Privateers on November 7th.

Butler will play tougher defense on Penn State than its first two opponents. The Bulldogs created points off of turnovers in the first game. They had a 37.9% defense turnover rate in its last game and sunk 80.0% of their 2-point attempts.

Butler made the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Thad Matta played for the Bulldogs in college. Matt was successful at Xavier and Ohio State. He left Ohio in 2017 to focus on his health. His career record is 440-154. Micah Shrewsberry went 14-17 in his first season at University Park.

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