The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) and Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3, 3-4) tangle at noon ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. Below, we look at the Rutgers vs. Penn State odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Rutgers is on the road for the fourth time in its last five games, having played just one home game since Oct. 10. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a successful trip to Bloomington, Ind., where they downed the Indiana Hoosiers 38-3 last Saturday. The Knights’ 38 points were a revelation: Rutgers had averaged 11.5 points per game over its previous six.
The Nittany Lions lost 21-17 to then-No. 8 Michigan last Saturday. Penn State has dropped four of its last five after starting the season 5-0. The Lions were held to 332 yards of total offense against the Wolverines and have averaged just 339.2 yards per game over their last five.
Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Rutgers at Penn State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:01 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Rutgers +700 (bet $100 to win $700) | Penn State -1200 (bet $1,200 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Rutgers +18.5 (-115) | Penn State -18.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 46.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Rutgers at Penn State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Penn State 31, Rutgers 14
Money line
Peg the true odds as being obscured in the expansive, muddy middle here. PASS.
Against the spread
The Scarlet Knights are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games as road underdogs. The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five RU-PSU games.
Success-rate analytics are bearish on the Lions. Rutgers has a solid defense but one prone to giving up big plays. However, producing explosive plays is not a strong point for Penn State.
Other parts of the market have Rutgers bettors getting a point-or-so less with which to work. In a game with a solid Under lean, BACK THE SCARLET KNIGHTS +18.5 (-115).
Over/Under
The Under is 7-0 in the last seven meetings in this series.
The Nittany Lions are a second-division unit on offense. They average just 3.2 yards per rush and 7.1 yards per pass attempt. The Knights are solid in keeping opposing offenses off schedule.
RU’s offensive explosion last week was propped up by six Indiana turnovers.
A winning score in the 20s would not be a surprise here. BACK THE UNDER 46.5 (-110).
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