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The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0) meet Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET (FOX). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Penn State vs. Ohio State odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Nittany Lions have not only won all 6 games to date, but Penn State has covered each outing, too. Penn State has registered 2 shutouts this season, blanking Iowa 31-0, while shutting out UMass 63-0 last Saturday.
The Penn State defense allows just 193.7 total yards per game, and 123.8 passing yards per game, each ranking No. 1 in the nation. PSU yielded just 69.8 rushing yards per game, too, while conceding just 8.0 points scored.
The Buckeyes topped Notre Dame 17-14 with a late-second touchdown on Sept. 23, while topping Maryland 37-17 at home in a battle of undefeated Big Ten teams on Oct. 7. Ohio State rolled to a 41-7 victory last Saturday over Purdue to cover a 17-point number on the road.
The Buckeyes have covered in consecutive games for the 1st time this season. Ohio State has cashed the Under in 3 in a row, and 5 of 6 games overall, while going 2-0 ATS against FBS opponents this season.
Penn State is No. 6 and Ohio State is No. 3 in the US LBM Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
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Penn State at Ohio State odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 6:58 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Penn State +155 (bet $100 to win $155) | Ohio State -190 (bet $190 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Penn State +4.5 (-110) | Ohio State -4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 45.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Penn State at Ohio State picks and predictions
Prediction
Ohio State 26, Penn State 17
Moneyline
Ohio State (-190) will cost you nearly 2 times your potential return, and that’s just over my personal moneyline limit of -180 for a singular bet. If you were to toss this into a parlay with at least 4 or 5 teams, including the Buckeyes wouldn’t be the end of the world.
PASS.
Against the spread
OHIO STATE -4.5 (-110) is the lean in this titanic Big Ten battle.
The Buckeyes have been tested twice so far, once on the road against the Irish, and once at home against a solid Terps team.
I am not sold on the Penn State +4.5 (-110) schedule so far. Sure, it is unbeaten in the conference, but wins over Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern just isn’t terribly impressive, although the Nittany Lions easily took care of each. But Penn State’s toughest game is the opener against a marginal West Virginia team, so this game represents the biggest test.
If this were in Happy Valley, it might end differently, but Ohio State won 6 straight in the series, and it will make it 7 on Saturday.
Over/Under
UNDER 45.5 (-110) is a surprisingly high number with the defensive numbers each side has put up. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a total in the 30’s, in fact.
The good news is that the weather from Thursday and Friday will pull out, with temperatures in the mid-50’s and mostly cloudy conditions with a slight breeze. The defenses will both be red-hot, however.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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