The Ohio State Buckeyes survived their first scare of the season last week but continue on their road to a College Football Playoff berth. The regular season finale against Michigan figures to be the big hurdle, but Ohio State can’t slip up before then.
They will hit the road in Week 8 for a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions. While Penn State has gone 4-2 on the season, it is not in the same stratosphere as this talented Buckeyes team and will be a significant home underdog.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 8 game is set for Saturday, October 22, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ohio State -20
Penn State +20
Over/Under 59
Odds Analysis
The Buckeyes have to pull away by three touchdowns to cover, but the betting public believes in that happening. Ohio State is getting 65.8 percent of the early action to cover the spread.
The “under” is by far the more popular pick on the scoring total, as 80 percent of the money is taking a score below 59 points.
Ohio State is 6-0 straight up and has also gone 4-2 against the spread, which is an impressive record considering a lot of blowouts have been forecasted. Penn State is 3-2-1 against the spread, and has gone 2-1-1 while trying to cover during home games.
Player to Watch
J.T. Barrett - Ohio State’s talented signal-caller will be an extreme matchup problem for the Penn State defense. The Nittany Lions are giving up 208.8 rushing yards per game and Barrett is an excellent dual threat quarterback.
He has thrown for 1,207 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions on the season and has averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game in his past two contests.
Barrett has done a solid job of taking care of the ball and won’t be asked to make too many tough plays since he knows the Ohio State defense can always get the possession back quickly if the team is forced to punt.
If Penn State can keep Barrett in the pocket and force him to throw, that will be a victory, but he can still beat you with his arm at times.
Matchup to Watch
Ohio State secondary vs. Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley -- The Buckeyes have been stingy against the pass, giving up only 159.5 passing yards per game on the year. That’s doubly impressive considering Ohio State has been ahead in its games and other teams have been forced to air it out.
The Nittany Lions can only hang around if McSorley can find a groove. He is 103-of-177 on the season for 1,436 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. McSorley struggled badly against Michigan but has otherwise been good this season.
Ohio State is another dominant defense but he will aim for better results in this one.
Free ATS Pick
Ohio State has been a statistically dominant team all season, although a tough Wisconsin squad forced it to overtime last week. That one was expected to be close, and the Badgers did a really nice job of corralling Barrett and the Ohio State offense.
Penn State would love to follow that formula, but doesn’t have the same type of defensive talent. Expect Barrett to have a better game this time out and really push the pedal to the floor with some great individual plays.
Penn State has shown enough to be considered a mid-tier Big Ten program at this point, but it can’t compete with a team like the Buckeyes. Even though the spread is high, choose the Buckeyes to cruise to the win and cover it.
The “over” is the correct call as well as Ohio State’s offense will get back on track, and Penn State could get a late touchdown to help the scoring total.
College Football Odds: Ohio State 42, Penn State 20
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
