The No. 17 Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2, 2-2) and No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0) clash in a battle of ranked teams Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio. Kickoff at historic Ohio Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Penn State vs. Ohio State odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Penn State was upset at home by Illinois on Saturday, falling 20-18 in nine overtimes. The Nittany Lions head to Columbus looking to avoid a third straight loss: PSU lost at Iowa Oct. 9 before a bye week.
The Lions are looking to avoid having a string of three straight losses in consecutive years for the first time since 2014-15.
The Buckeyes roughed up Indiana on the road last week, winning 54-7 to easily cover a 21-point spread. Ohio State has scored 52-or-more points in four straight outings.
Its per-game average of 49.3 ranks first in the nation. The Scarlet & Gray scored 38 in a 38-25 triumph at Penn State last fall. The Buckeyes have won four in a row over the Lions.
Penn State at Ohio State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Penn State +650 (bet $100 to win $650) | Ohio State -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Penn State +19.5 (-108) | Ohio State -18.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 61.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Penn State at Ohio State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Ohio State 38, Penn State 21
Money line
The Buckeyes excel in staying on schedule and getting big plays. They do both with a potent mix of pass (352.1 yards per game) and run (207.1 yards per game)
Penn State can counter with what is likely the best back seven the OSU offense has seen to date. And the Lions do typically make things interesting against their neighbors to the East.
PSU is the lean here, and the price is right. Consider PENN STATE (+650) on a partial-unit play, mixing in a bit of action against the number.
Against the spread
The Nittany Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings with the Buckeyes.
With an Under lean, a Penn State +20 play would offer up a lot of value. At the current tag, consider a partial-unit play on PENN STATE +19.5 (-108).
If the Lions can get some pressure on OSU QB C.J. Stroud, they can be within 10-14 points late.
The lean here is a slight one because Ohio State is just that talented. Consider a quarter-unit against the number and a quarter-unit on the money line.
Over/Under
The Under is 4-1-1 across the last six OSU-PSU meetings.
On what could well be a rainy night in Columbus with the Buckeyes relying more on the run … or, with OSU being on the upside of a one-sided game, BACK THE UNDER 61.5 (-112). The Under is the strongest play in this matchup.
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