Penn State vs. Purdue Pick
After a huge upset win last week, is No. 24 Penn State looking at a possible letdown performance when it goes on the road to face Purdue this Saturday at noon?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Penn State is favored on the road, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -11.5 points. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 56.5 points. Penn State has won seven straight meetings with Purdue, going 4-2-1 against the spread in those seven games.
Penn State is coming off the surprising 24-21 win over Ohio State at home to move to 5-2 on the year and 3-1 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 3-3-1 against the spread on the year, covering in their last two wins. However, all three covers this season have come as an underdog. Penn State still isn’t much of a reliable offense, putting up just 375 yards per game this season. Saquon Barkley has run for 681 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the offense while Trace McSorley has thrown for 1,590 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, Penn State is giving up 27.4 points and 386 yards per game in 2016. The Nittany Lions have really struggled against the run, allowing 203 yards per game.
Purdue is coming off a 27-14 loss at Nebraska last week to fall to 3-4 on the season, 1-3 in the Big Ten and 3-4 against the spread. Purdue is moving the ball along, as the Boilermakers are averaging 426.3 yards per game, but they are scoring just 25.6 points per contest. David Blough has put up 2,065 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he also has 11 interceptions. DeAngelo Yancey is the leading receiver with 28 catches for 491 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, Purdue is giving up 33.3 points and 441 yards per contest. The Boilermakers are giving up 249 rushing yards per game.
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Penn State is coming off a big win, and the Nittany Lions are on a three-game win streak, but they are not comfortable being the favorite. They are 0-2-1 against the spread as favorite in 2016. Purdue showed it can raise its game by giving Nebraska a scare last week and the Boilermakers have two of their three wins on home turf. Look for them to play a competitive game with Penn State and have a chance to win late.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9 PICK: PURDUE +11.5