Game Preview
Michigan brings a perfect record and significant momentum into this Big Ten East showdown with the Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon at Happy Valley.
The Wolverines, at 9-0, have the inside track to winning the East, which is just a step away from another College Football Playoff berth.
Penn State, at 8-1, would love to disrupt Michigan’s plans. But the question remains: Can the Lions keep this contest close?
NCAAF Betting Odds Analysis
The Week 11 college football betting market opened with Michigan as a 5.5-point road favorite and an over/under of around 44. Early betting action nudged the spread to 4.5 and pushed the total to 45.5.
Michigan-Penn State Betting Preview
Michigan continued its dominant season by overpowering Purdue last week with a score of 41-13. The Wolverines scored the first 20 points and later extended their lead to 41-6. However, they allowed Purdue a late touchdown, which meant they did not cover the -31 spread.
The Wolverines outgained Purdue 445-269, with 75 of those yards allowed on Purdue’s final drive.
Michigan has won its six Big Ten games this season by an average score of 46-7, yet they have faced a relatively light schedule so far.
With a 9-0 record, the Wolverines are vying for high stakes moving forward.
Conversely, Penn State has rebounded with two consecutive wins since their sole loss against Ohio State. They came off a commanding 51-15 victory over Maryland last Saturday. Favored by eight points, Penn State established an early lead and never looked back, outgaining the Terrapins 404-234 and dominating the turnover battle.
At 5-1 in conference play, the Nittany Lions still have a shot at the Big Ten East title.
Recent History
Under Coach Franklin, Penn State has faced Coach Harbaugh’s Michigan with the Wolverines holding a 5-3 straight-up record and a 6-2 against the spread record. In last year’s matchup, Michigan overcame a deficit to win decisively 41-17 and cover the spread as -7 favorites, amassing 418 rushing yards.
Totals Report
Michigan’s games this season have split totals with a 4-4-1 record, averaging 47 points.
Penn State games have tended towards high scoring, with a 6-3 record on the overs, averaging 52 points.
Historically, the overs are 6-2 over the last eight meetings between these two teams.
