Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview

Trick-or-treating might be skipped this year and it has nothing to do with a pandemic. Halloween night a great reason to stay at home to watch a Big Ten showdown as the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (0-1). Kickoff for this one is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET from Beaver Stadium, in University Park, PA.
The Buckeyes won their opener against Nebraska, 52-17 last week. Coach Ryan Day and Ohio State poured it on, as they scored double digits in every single quarter. While the OSU defense was a little suspect on the ground, allowing 219 yards and 2 scores, the Cornhuskers still could not keep up with Ohio State’s high-scoring offense.
Penn State lost a 36-35 OT heartbreaker in their opener against Indiana. The Nittany Lions were actually hurt by a Devyn Ford touchdown that left enough time for Indiana to come down and tie the game up late. Ultimately, they lost in overtime on a controversial two-point conversion by the Hoosiers.
Ohio State is favored by -10.5 points despite playing on the road. As expected, the OSU Moneyline is pricey at -385 whereas Penn State has value as +290 home underdogs. The over/under for total points is 64.5.
Ohio State Looks To Stay Unbeaten
After winning in their opener, Ohio State looks to keep rolling through the Big Ten with a win over Penn State. To do so they will turn to star quarterback Justin Fields to lead the offense. Fields did well against Nebraska, going 20 for 21 for 276 yards and 2 scores, while adding another 54 yards and a score on the ground. .
The running game overall for Ohio State was a little inconsistent as they try to replace J.K. Dobbins, who has gone to the NFL. Despite putting up 52 points last week, nobody stood out as the next feature back in Columbus. Master Teague did score two touchdowns, but he and Trey Sermon combined for only 96 yards.
For what the running game lacked against the Cornhuskers, the OSU receivers are off to a sizzling start. Garrett Wilson (7 receptions, 129 yards, 1 touchdown) and Chris Olave (6 receptions, 104 yards) were dominant last Saturday.
Can Penn State Bounce Back?
Last week had to be a tough pill to swallow for Penn State, and it will be interesting to see how they rebound against one of the best teams in the nation. Was PSU guilty of looking ahead last week? .
Leading the way for Penn State is quarterback Sean Clifford, who went 24 for 35 for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions vs. Indiana. Those are gooddecent numbers, but Ohio State is tougher challenge than Indiana, and the two INTs are worrisome.
Devyn Ford looks like the main back for PSU, as he tallied 20 rushes last week but for just 69 yards. Ford did add a touchdown, and Penn State will focus on getting the run game going early and often Saturday night.
Ohio State Wins, But Can They Cover?
I do think that Penn State comes out prepared and ready to go, but I still think Ohio State wins the game outright. The Buckeyes will need to shore up their defense against the run, but Fields and the passing game is too lethal.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Penn State stick around early, especially if their run game is solid, but I expect the Buckeyes to eventually pull away. For my money, I am taking Ohio State to win and to cover the 10.5 points.