Michigan vs Penn State 2019 College Football Week 8 Lines & Prediction

The Michigan Wolverines head to the Keystone State to face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night in a key Big Ten matchup. The Wolverines already have one loss on the season — a 35-14 shellacking at Wisconsin — so they cannot afford another setback. Since that loss, they have routed Rutgers, escaped Iowa by seven at home, and then rolled to a fairly easy win at Illinois. Penn State remains undefeated; in Big Ten play, they have humiliated Maryland, routed Purdue and then edged by Iowa on the road. Can Michigan show that they have made progress on offense against Penn State? Or will the Nittany Lions end the Wolverines’ College Football Playoff hopes? Before you lock in any sports betting wagers on this matchup, Check out our preview.

Michigan vs Penn State 2019 College Football Week 8 Lines & Prediction

The Wolverines are getting ready for prime time at Penn State. We’re staying focused. 👊#GoBlue 〽️🏈 pic.twitter.com/U9s9Ysdpsc

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 17, 2019

When: Saturday, October 19, 7:30 pm ET Where: Beaver Stadium, State College, PA TV: ABC Radio: Michigan IMG Sports Network / Penn State Sports Network Live Stream: WatchESPN College Football Week 8 Odds: Penn State -9 / O/U 46

Why should you bet on the Wolverines?

Yes, Penn State is undefeated, but they haven’t played anyone of the caliber of Wisconsin. They needed a good bit of luck to beat Pitt and Iowa — the same Iowa team that almost beat Michigan. While the Wolverines have looked inconsistent at times, they have a solid pass rush, and they are holding the opposition under 300 yards of offense per game. They don’t have a ton of takeaways, but they have tended to get them at just the right time. If you object that the only time Michigan has played a complete game has been in their shellacking of Rutgers (and who hasn’t spanked Rutgers?), you would be right. None of Michigan’s wins have happened in exactly the same way. However, the passing game has multiple weapons, and the running game has become more and more productive as the season has gone by. So those who thought, at the beginning of the season, that Michigan would roll through the Big Ten are seeing more and more signs that they were right.

Why should you put your money on the Nittany Lions?

While Penn State doesn’t have a marquee opponent in their past like Michigan does in Wisconsin, Penn State has also not gone to overtime against Army, seeing a team like Middle Tennessee put up points late to make the game interesting, or lost by 21 to a fellow Big Ten contender in a game that was not that close. They also haven’t given up 25 points to the likes of Illinois. What has Penn State done, then? They rank second in the nation in sacks and third in tackles for loss. In the running game, the Nittany Lion defense has permitted one touchdown and permit only 1.6 yards per attempt. The Penn State pass rush has the talent and the scheme to pressure Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson, and he has not looked good in the pocket when under duress.

Final Score Prediction

I expect a defensive struggle to take over this game. That hasn’t been the history, as Penn State won two years ago, 42-13, but Michigan rolled to a 42-7 year in 2018, but this time I see both teams finding that yards come at a premium. If you found the style of the Iowa-Penn State and the Iowa-Michigan games to be your kind of football, then you will love this matchup as well. Penn State’s ball security is better than Michigan’s, but I’m not sure that I see Penn State covering this line. I predict a final score of Penn State 17, Michigan 13.