In 19 games under head coach Urban Meyer the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes are a perfect 19-0 straight up, going 12-7 against the spread over that stretch as well. Meyer's Buckeyes look for win No. 20 this Saturday as a 14.5-point favorite over the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium.
Penn State vs. Ohio State betting odds, trends and pick: Take the points
The computer says Ohio State will cover the Big Ten spread against Penn State, while the smart money picks the Nittany Lions. See the latest odds, trends and predictions. This story was provided to SB Nation by OddsShark.
Patrick Smith
The Buckeyes can't control where the polls place them; all they can do is keep on winning and hope for the best. While other teams continue to grab the headlines, Ohio State has quietly been scoring 45 points per game under quarterback Braxton Miller. The Buckeyes haven't looked great on defense of late, allowing 24 points or more in four of their last five games, but with the offense clicking, they've still managed a 5-2 ATS record to go along with their 7-0 SU record.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have been wildly inconsistent this year, with a 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS record through their first six games. Coming off a 44-24 loss to Indiana, the Nittany Lions bounced back with a 43-40 overtime victory at home against then-undefeated Michigan. Penn State’s defense has allowed 34 points or more in three of its last four games, but has averaged a solid 33.3 points per game this year.
Ohio State is 5-2 SU and ATS in its last five games against Penn State. The total has gone UNDER in six of the last nine meetings between these two Big Ten rivals. Saturday’s total is currently set at 56 points.
Penn State has struggled against good offenses, giving up 34 points to UCF, 44 points to Indiana, and 43 points to Michigan. Ohio State will score its share of points in this game; the question is, will Penn State’s offense be able to hang?
Given 14.5 points against an Ohio State defense that has also been subpar, we think the Nittany Lions can sneak in a cover. The college football consensus at OddsShark.com shows a whoppoing percentage betting the OVER, which was 55.5 as of Thursday.
PICK: Penn State +14.5 | Computer Prediction: 41-17 Ohio State
