A pair of ranked Big Ten teams will face off this weekend with No. 5 Ohio State hosting No. 20 Penn State at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. The Buckeyes haven’t lost since falling short against No. 7 Oregon in Week 2, while the Nittany Lions are looking to rebound from a stunning loss to Illinois last weekend.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are 18.5-point favorites in the latest Ohio State vs. Penn State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 61. Before locking in any Penn State vs. Ohio State picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,900 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 9 of the 2021 season on a 26-11 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.
Now the model has dialed in on Penn State vs. Ohio State and just revealed its CFB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s picks. Here are several CFB odds and betting lines for Ohio State vs. Penn State:
- Penn State vs. Ohio State: Ohio State -18.5
- Penn State vs. Ohio State over-under: 61 points
- Penn State vs. Ohio State money line: Ohio State -1000, Penn State +650
- PSU: The Nittany Lions have lost four of their last five games against the Buckeyes
- OSU: The Buckeyes are 5-0 straight up in their previous five home games
Featured Game | Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Why Penn State can cover
The Nittany Lions were unexpectedly upset by Illinois last week, but that doesn’t make them less likely to keep things close against the Buckeyes. No team has come close to blowing Penn State out this year. Its two losses were by an average of 2.5 points, and No. 9 Iowa only beat the Nittany Lions by three at Kinnick Stadium. Penn State’s run defense has a lot to do with its success, which bodes well for the underdogs ahead of Saturday.
Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson ranks third in the FBS with 11 rushing scores, but the Nittany Lions hardly ever let running backs reach the end zone on the ground. They’ve allowed just five rushing scores all year. Only nine FBS teams can beat that impressive mark. Limiting Ohio State’s dynamic ground game could make things interesting.
Why Ohio State can cover
Ohio State has blown quite a few teams away this season. The Buckeyes only loss came against No. 7 Oregon. No other team has been able to challenge them. Their average margin of victory is 31.7 points. That figure jumps above 40 if you only include home wins this year.
Ohio State is riding a four-game winning streak against Penn State. The Buckeyes’ last two victories against the Nittany Lions were by double-digits. C.J. Stroud, Henderson, and Ohio State’s receiving corps make for an extremely explosive offense. That’s made all the difference in recent meetings and could continue to be the case on Saturday.
How to make Penn State vs. Ohio State picks
SportsLine’s model says the game goes under on the point total and projects the teams to combine for 54 points. It also has an against the spread pick that cashes in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s Penn State vs. Ohio State pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Penn State vs. Ohio State? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ohio State vs. Penn State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is on a 26-11 run on top-rated picks, and find out.
