At this point, the Ohio State Buckeyes just needs to avoid a loss in order to fully secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Penn State Nittany Lions, meanwhile, can make a case for a return to the top four if they can take down the Buckeyes. Read on for a preview of this huge Big 10 matchup.
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Betting Preview for the Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ohio State Buckeyes Week 13 College Football Game on November 23 2019
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus
When: Saturday, November 23, 2019, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Penn State Nittany Lions (+18.5) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (-18.5) – view all 2019 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-1 Overall / 6-1 Conference)
Penn State got taken out of the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings after getting stunned by the No. 17 Minnesota Gophers on Nov. 9. The Nittany Lions weren’t going to let that loss damage their morale, though, as they bounced back with a 34-27 home win over the Indiana Hoosiers last Saturday. However, their play has seemingly loosened, particularly on defense. After not allowing a touchdown in the first quarter in each of their games this season prior to the Indiana meeting, the Nittany Lions have now surrendered four in their last two outings. Penn State is scoring 32.1 points per game, good for 35th in the nation. The team is also seventh nationally in terms of scoring defense with just 14.2 points allowed per contest. That defense will have to be at its best in order to contain the high-powered attack of Ohio State.
The over is 3-1 in the last four games of the Nittany Lions.
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0 Overall / 7-0 Conference)
Who’s stopping the Buckeyes? Certainly not the lowly Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who got steamrolled last week in a 56-21 road win by Ohio State. Quarterback Justin Fields had a field day slicing through Rutger’s defense, as he managed to put up 309 passing yards and four touchdowns on just 15 pass completions and 19 pass attempts. Fields will have to work a bit harder against Penn State but given how the Nittany Lions’ defense has decline of late and the Buckeyes’ overall quality on offense, it’s fair to expect Ohio State to leave Saturday’s game with a bunch of points again. On the season, the Buckeyes are averaging 51.5 points per game — the most in all of the FBS. Their defense is not that shabby either. In fact, Ohio State is second overall with just 9.8 points allowed per contest. It has limited the two ranked opponents they have faced so far this season to a combined total of just 17 points.
The Buckeyes are 8-2 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Ohio State wins, 37-17.
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