The Michigan State Spartans (2-4 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) visit the Penn State Nittany Lions (2-5, 2-5) Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Below, we analyze the Michigan State-Penn State college football betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Michigan State at Penn State: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Michigan State +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Penn State -667 (bet $667 to win $100.
- Against the spread/ATS: Michigan State +14.5, -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Penn State -14.5, -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
- Over/Under: 49.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Michigan State at Penn State: Three things to know
- The Spartans, who were 21.5-point home dogs, were no match for the Ohio State Buckeyes last week, getting smoked 52-12. Michigan State trailed 35-0 before getting on the scoreboard in the third quarter. It didn’t help that the Spartans had 4 turnovers (2 interceptions and 2 fumbles) and were 3-for-17 on third-down conversions.
- The Nittany Lions have turned things around after an ugly 0-5 start to the season. They’ve won their last two games, prevailing at Rutgers 23-7 last week and at Michigan 27-17 Nov. 28 – covering the spread in both victories. The defense stood out vs. the Scarlet Knights, holding them to 205 total yards, 12 first downs and just 1 touchdown. Offensively, the Lions ran for 248 yards, led by RB Keyvone Lee‘s 95 rushing yards on 17 carries.
- The head-to-head series is tied 16-16-1 with Penn State snapping a two-game skid with a 28-7 decision last season as a 5.5-point favorite in East Lansing. Michigan State has a slight 6-4 edge in the past 10 head-to-head games, while the O/U is 7-3 – with the last two contests finishing Under.
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Michigan State at Penn State: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Penn State 27, Michigan State 17
Money line (ML)
AVOID. Penn State (-667) will win, but it’s not worth risking more than 6.5 times the potential return.
Against the spread (ATS)
MICHIGAN STATE +14.5 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1.5 times your usual wager. The Spartans proved they can play well when they upset then-No. 8 Northwestern 29-20 at home Nov. 28 as 13.5-point underdogs and MSU will be looking to redeem itself after the blowout loss to Ohio State. The Spartans will play well enough to cover, but the Nittany Lions’ talent wins out.
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the UNDER 49.5 (-110). Penn State averages 24.7 points per game with a 2-4-1 O/U record. Michigan State scores at a 17.0 PPG clip and is 4-2 O/U, mostly because the defense gave up too many points. Expect a low-scoring affair in this one.
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| Johnny’s 2020 CFB record / Strongest plays | 17-16 / 9-6 |
| 2020 overall record (all sports) | 157-120-3 |
| Strongest plays (all sports) | 77-47-1 |
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