Northwestern is coming into tonight's home game vs. Penn State off a 71-64 loss to UCLA, but an encouraging road trip nonetheless.

The 'Cats got their first win of the season out west against USC in the first game of the trip, and they hung with the Bruins until the final buzzer. Now, they'll look to extend that momentum and secure their second conference win against the Nittany Lions.

This is a very winnable game for the Wildcats. It doesn't mean they will win -- it's the Big Ten after all -- but it does mean they probably should win. Northwestern are 7.5-point favorites right now at the Welsh, and PSU is the only team still winless in conference play.

Northwestern will be looking for a big night from captain Nick Martinelli. He's still been dropping 20 points in recent games, but his efficiency numbers have dropped off a little. 

That's not to put any blame on Martinelli -- he's being forced to take a lot of shots, and he's getting double, sometimes triple-teamed by really talented defenders. But the Nittany Lions present an opportunity for him to dominate.

Chris Collins will likely go with the young starting lineup he's been trotting out in recent games. That means you should expect to see Tyler Kropp and Jake West instead of Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page on the opening possession of the game. But Collins will give everyone minutes as the game goes on and always goes with the hot hand.

The leading scorer for Penn State is guard Kayden Mingo, who's currently averaging an even 14 points per game. Freddie Dilione V, another guard, is also averaging double figures at 13.5 ppg.

On the boards, both of these teams seem to struggle. Ivan Juric, Penn State's leading rebounder, is only averaging 5.1 per contest. Whoever wins the battle on the glass should have a big advantage in this one.

If the 'Cats can get the job done in this one, then they have another winnable game on Saturday against Washington to make it two in a row. A 3-8 record in conference play still doesn't sound great, but you have to start somewhere.

These games are crucial, as the ensuing stretch of No. 9 Illinois, Iowa, No. 3 Michigan and No. 5 Nebraska is a brutal gauntlet. Here's everything else to know about the matchup tonight:

Northwestern Wildcats (9-11, 1-8 B1G) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (9-11, 0-9 B1G)

Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Illinois

Tipoff: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. CT

TV: Peacock

Radio: WGN AM 720

Line: Northwestern -7.5

Northwestern OUT:

None

Penn State OUT: