Penn St. vs. Michigan St. Total Pick
Will No. 7 Penn State and No. 24 Michigan State both have bounce-back performances when the two meet up on Saturday at Noon ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Penn State is favored on the road, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -8.5 points against Michigan State. The over/under total has been set at 48 points. Michigan State has won three of the last four meetings with Penn State and the two have hit the over in six of their last seven encounters. The public is currently putting 81 percent of the wagers on Penn State in this game. Saturday’s contest takes place from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan and will air live on FOX.
Michigan State is coming off a 39-31 triple OT loss to Northwestern on the road last week to fall to 6-2 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Ten. The Spartans are 5-3 with the under and one of the overs was a triple OT game. MSU has had to heavily rely on its defense this year. The unit is allowing just 19.6 points and 283.4 yards per game. Offensively, Michigan State is putting up 23.8 points and 393.6 yards per contest. Brian Lewerke has thrown for 1,807 yards and 14 touchdowns while also rushing for 343 yards and three scores. LJ Scott has 511 rushing yards and four touchdowns while Felton Davis III has 33 receptions for 405 yards and seven touchdowns.
Penn State is coming off a 39-38 loss at Ohio State last week in which it blew a double-digit lead over the final few minutes of play. The Nittany Lions are now 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in the Big Ten. PSU is 5-3 with the under this season. Penn State has a great defense of its own, allowing just 13.3 points and 313.6 yards per contest. On offense, PSU is very dynamic. The Nittany Lions average 39.8 points and 440.8 yards per game. Saquon Barkley has been a huge force, as he has run for 801 yards and nine touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 471 yards and three scores. He also has returned two kickoffs for scores. Quarterback Trace McSorley has thrown for 2,071 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with five interceptions.
Bet on Penn State vs. Michigan State
Penn State has been able to move the ball on everyone this season, except for Iowa, which was a road game at night. I expect the Nittany Lions to get some resistance from MSU, but the Spartans don’t have the speed that Barkley has. I see Penn State putting up a comfortable number, but I don’t see MSU responding. The Spartans offense is not reliable and not consistent. Penn State has been able to limit everyone not named Ohio State, but the Spartans are a far cry from the Buckeyes on offense.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: PENN STATE/MICHIGAN STATE UNDER 48