Central Michigan vs. Penn St. Prediction
Number fourteen Penn State hosts MAC foe Central Michigan at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday. Can the Nittany Lions cover the large number as home favorites?
Central Michigan is 1-2 on the year, with losses to Oklahoma State and South Alabama in their first two contests. They defeated Bucknell last week 41-0. The Chippewas are 1-1-1 ATS on the season.
Penn State is 3-0 with road wins over Purdue and Auburn already on the year. They beat Ohio at home in week 2 by a score of 46-10. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 ATS on the year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
331 Central Michigan Chippewas +28 at 332 Penn State Nittany Lions -28; O/U 63
12:00 PM ET Saturday, September 24th, 2022
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Central Michigan vs. Penn State Public Betting Information
The public is slightly favoring the Chippewas in this game. Our CFB Public Betting Page shows that 51% of public bets are on Central Michigan. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Central Michigan Game Notes
Central Michigan’s best offensive player is running back Lew Nichols III. The 5’11” 222-pound sophomore from Detroit led all of FBS with 1,848 rushing yards last year. He’s already run for 258 yards and 5 touchdowns this year. He should be able to prevent the Chippewas’ offense from becoming too one-dimensional on Saturday.
Central Michigan’s quarterback Daniel Richardson was good last year, as he threw for 2,633 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. If he and Nichols can keep the chains moving for the Chippewas, they have a good chance at covering the spread in this game.
Penn State Game Notes
The Nittany Lions made a statement at Auburn on Saturday when they thrashed the Tigers 41-12. The defense mustered 6 sacks and the team as a whole ran for 245 yards. The key player was running back Nicholas Singleton. The 6’0” 219-pound freshman from Shillington, PA ran for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns against Auburn. On the year, he’s averaging a whopping 11.1 yards per carry on 30 totes. Singleton and backup running back Kaytron Allen form a dynamic one-two punch that the Chippewas are going to have to slow down if they’re going to cover the number.
Central Michigan vs. Penn State Betting Trends
Central Michigan is 13-9 straight up since the beginning of 2020.
Penn State is 14-11 straight up since the beginning of 2020.
56% of the handle is on Penn State -28.
Central Michigan is 9-6-1 ATS dating back to the beginning of last year.
Penn State is 10-6 ATS dating back to the beginning of last season.
Central Michigan is 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Central Michigan is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight-up win.
The over is 4-0 in Penn State’s last 4 games in September.
Penn State is 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Central Michigan vs. Penn State Betting Prediction
The Chippewas covered the spread in their opening game of the year against Oklahoma State. They were 21-point underdogs and outscored the Cowboys 29-14 in the second half to lose by a score of 58-44. Central Michigan QB Daniel Richardson had 424 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes in that game. I see this game playing out in a similar fashion. Central Michigan probably won’t win, but they can cover the large spread.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 4 PREDICTION: CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS +28