Ohio State owns three straight victories over rival Penn State, seven wins in the last nine meetings between the teams and a 6-3 record against the spread over that same span. The unbeaten Buckeyes shoot for a fourth straight win over the Nittany Lions Saturday night at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
Point spread: The Buckeyes opened as 17.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 40.9-18.4 Buckeyes
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions can cover the spread
The Lions are off to a 5-1 start to this season after beating Indiana last week 29-7 and easily covering as four-point home favorites. That game was tied at 7-7 after one quarter, but Penn State scored the last 22 points of the game. The Lions outgained the Hoosiers 420 yards to 234, outrushed them 154-79 and held the ball for almost 36 minutes, although it should be noted Indiana was without its starting quarterback.
Penn State opened this season with an upset versus Temple but buried the game tape and responded by winning its next five games. With good performances by quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who has thrown just two interceptions this season after tossing 15 last season, and the defense, which has limited its last five foes to 12 points per game, the Lions could make some real noise this week.
Why the Ohio State Buckeyes can cover the spread
Ohio State isn’t playing up to…
Continue Reading: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Odds, Football Pick
