Thu Nov 21 22:20:00 UTC 2024: ## Youngstown State Favored to Beat Monmouth in College Basketball Matchup

**Youngstown, OH –** The Youngstown State Penguins will host the Monmouth Hawks Thursday at the William R. Johnson Coliseum in a college basketball game. While both teams have faced tough early season competition, including losses to Power Five opponents (Monmouth against Rutgers and Wichita State; Youngstown State against Ohio State and Syracuse), the Penguins are favored to win.

Monmouth is struggling offensively, averaging just 68.8 points per game on 36.1% shooting, and defensively, allowing 86.2 points per game. Abdi Bashir Jr. leads the Hawks in scoring with 21.6 points per game. Youngstown State, while also struggling offensively (74 points per game on 37.7% shooting), showed resilience in a recent close loss to Syracuse, a performance considered a positive building block. The Penguins are led by Nico Galette’s 15 points and 6 rebounds per game.

Analysts point to Youngstown State’s more competitive recent performance as a key factor in the prediction. While both teams have weaknesses, the Penguins’ closer loss to a strong opponent suggests a greater potential for success against Monmouth. The game is expected to be closely contested, but the edge is currently given to Youngstown State.

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