The Penn State Nittany Lions have won two straight but the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes are the heavy NCAA football betting favorites when the two colleges meet on Saturday, October 22nd at Beaver Stadium in University Park. PA. The following are the betting sportsbook odds for that match-up:
Ohio State -19½ (-110) 59½ (-110) -1250
Penn State +19½ (-110) 59½ (-110) +800
The Buckeyes came from behind to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers 30-23 in overtime last week. Ohio State’s defense allowed plenty of yards but forced the Badgers to settle for field goals. The Buckeyes trailed 6-16 at halftime. Ohio QB J.T. Barrett threw an interception but finished 17 of 29 for 226 yards with one TD, and ran for 92 yards on 21 carries for a further two scores. Barrett’s one touchdown pass to wide receiver Noah Brown was not only the go-ahead score but also his 89th career touchdown – passing or rushing – and a new school record. Defensive end Tyquan Lewis sacked Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook to end the game before bad weather disrupted the proceedings.
The Lions managed to string together two consecutive wins for the first time this season when they beat the Maryland Terrapins 38-14. Penn State QB Trace McSorley finished 10 of 19 for 152 yards with two TD passes, and ran for 81 yards on 18 carries for 81 yards and another score. Moreover, Saquon Barkley rushed for 202 yards and a touchdown. All told, the Lions recorded 372 yards rushing and a season-best 524 yards. Defensively, Penn State had four sacks and held the Terrapins to 270 yards. Penalties and a fumble kept Maryland in the game until McSorely hit Deandre Thompkins with a 70-yarder TD pass in the third quarter to put the Lions ahead 31-14.
When it comes to streaks, though, one can see why the Buckeyes are the NCAA football betting favorites. Ohio State is in the midst of a 20-game road winning streak and are 4-0 against with head coach Urban Meyer at the helm of the program. The Buckeyes have won those four encounters by an average score of 41.8-17.8, which provides reason to believe that Ohio State can cover the NCAA football betting spread. The Lions, on the other hand, might be satisfied with just the straight up win, and to achieve that they will have to get off to another fast start such as the one they had versus Maryland.
There is a reason why the Buckeyes are 6-0 and ranked No. 2, though, and it’s because when they’re good they’re great, but even when they’re not so good they’re still better than most. Case in point, that un-pretty OT win against the Badgers. Not only is Ohio State a team that can make adjustments on the go to salvage a losing game, but it also has a game-changing, difference-making signal-caller in versatile junior J. T. Barrett. Conversely, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and the Buckeyes just may be a little too Barrett-dependent at the time.