Two of the top teams in the Big Ten tangle on Saturday night as the #19 Michigan Wolverines head to Happy Valley to take on second-ranked Penn State. The Nittany Lions come in off their bye week with a 6-0 record; their last game was a 31-7 whipping of Northwestern on the road two weeks ago. Michigan followed up their shocking home loss to Michigan State by heading to Indiana and barely escaping with a 27-20 overtime victory. Can the Wolverines throw a wrench in Penn State’s playoff hopes? Or will the Nittany Lions deliver a huge home victory? Check out our NCAAF odds & betting preview of this dynamic matchup.
The Nittany Lions have a faster and more physical defense than they had last season. Given the fact that they have a week of rest to prepare for this game and get to take on the Wolverines at home, they come in with a lot of intangibles. Given the fact that Michigan almost lost to Indiana last week, and that they have struggled on offense for much of their last two games, the Nittany Lions come in with a real mental edge. Penn State has covered the spread in all four of their last home games against a team that has a winning record on the road — while Michigan comes in having failed to cover the spread in each of their last four October contests.
Michigan at Penn State NCAAF Odds & Betting Prediction for Week 8
When: Saturday, October 21, 2017, 7:30pm ET Where: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA TV: ABC Radio: 104.3 FM (Michigan) / 106.1 FM (Penn State) Live Stream: WatchESPN NCAAF Odds: Penn State (-10), O/U 45Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 17°C/62°F
- Humidity: 65%
- Precipitation: 3%
- Cloud Cover: 39%
- Wind: 3 mph SSE
- Stadium Type: Open
Why should you bet on the Wolverines?
Michigan has a 2-1 record in Big Ten play, but they could easily be 1-2. They led Indiana by 20-10 with 3:27 to go, but then Indiana rattled off 10 straight points to send the game to overtime. Michigan won the time of possession battle by over 10 minutes and grabbed two turnovers while not surrendering any. They did commit 16 penalties, though, and they kept stumbling over their own feet. Their offensive hopes rest on the inconsistent shoulders of John O’Korn, who has gone 45 for 82 for 563 yards and a score in relief of injured Wilton Speight, whose back fractures have likely sidelined him for the season. O’Korn has also thrown four interceptions, and it was his lack of ball security that doomed the Wolverines against Michigan State. Another question for Michigan is their defense. They permitted 278 yards of offense against Indiana, with several of those 16 penalties extending drives for the Hoosiers. They only permit 14.7 points per game, but a lot of those low point totals came against the cupcakes on their schedule. The Wolverines struggle to score in crunch time against quality opposition, and they also struggle to get stops. If you like Michigan to win here, you see O’Korn playing out of his mind and the Michigan defense shutting down a terrific Nittany Lion offense.Why should you put your money on the Nittany Lions?
Penn State looked dominant in their win over Northwestern two weeks ago. They won the takeaway battle 3-0 and won the time of possession battle by over eight minutes. They outgained Northwestern 381-265. The offense runs through Saquon Barkley, who has carried the ball 102 times for 649 yards and six touchdowns so far; he’s also caught 29 balls for 395 yards and two more touchdowns. Juwan Johnson, DaeSean Hamilton and Mike Gesicki give quarterback Trace McSorley three legitimate wideout targets.
The Nittany Lions have a faster and more physical defense than they had last season. Given the fact that they have a week of rest to prepare for this game and get to take on the Wolverines at home, they come in with a lot of intangibles. Given the fact that Michigan almost lost to Indiana last week, and that they have struggled on offense for much of their last two games, the Nittany Lions come in with a real mental edge. Penn State has covered the spread in all four of their last home games against a team that has a winning record on the road — while Michigan comes in having failed to cover the spread in each of their last four October contests.
Latest College Football Betting Trends for Week 8
- Wolverines are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games at home
- Wolverines are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Michigan’s last 8 games at home
- Nittany Lions are 13-1-1 ATS in their last 15 games
- Nittany Lions are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Penn State’s last 6 games
