Penn State vs. Northwestern Pick
Can No. 4 Penn State go on the road and cruise past Northwestern when the two Big Ten foes meet up this afternoon at Noon ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Penn State is favored on the road, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -13.5 points against Northwestern. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 51 points. Northwestern has won two straight meetings with Penn State and the Wildcats have covered the spread in both wins. Today’s game takes place from Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. The game will air live on ABC.
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Penn State is 5-0 on the season following a 45-14 win over Indiana at home last week. The Nittany Lions are 2-0 in the Big Ten. They are also 3-1-1 against the spread, failing to cover in their lone road game. Penn State has had a dominant defense, as it is giving up just 9.4 points and 289.2 yards per game this season. On offense, PSU is putting up 41.4 points and 471.2 yards per game. The team is being led by Saquon Barkley. He has run for 574 yards and four touchdowns while catching 27 passes for 386 yards and two more scores. Trace McSorley has thrown for 1,352 yards and 12 touchdowns as well.
Northwestern is 2-2 on the season and 0-1 in the Big Ten following a 33-24 loss at Wisconsin last week. The Wildcats are 2-2 against the spread, covering in their last two games. Northwestern puts up 30.3 points and 405.3 yards per game on offense this season. Clayton Thorson has thrown for 1,061 yards and seven touchdowns to go with five interceptions. Justin Jackson is the leading rusher with 273 yards and four touchdowns. He is questionable for the game due to a leg injury. Defensively, the Wildcats are allowing 25.3 points and 384.3 yards per game.
Bet on Penn State vs. Northwestern
Penn State looked shaky when it hit the road to face Iowa, but that was a night game. I expect better results for the Nittany Lions this afternoon at Northwestern. The Wildcats are just 1-5 against the spread in their last 6 home games against a team with a winning road record. Penn State is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 Big Ten games and 12-2-2 ATS in its last 16 overall. Look for Penn State to find a way to cover again today.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: PENN STATE -13.5