What many college football gamblers and fans would consider to be the top matchup of the weekend takes place Saturday night when the Penn State Nittany Lions host the Ohio State Buckeyes in a Big Ten East Division showdown. Urban Meyer returned as Ohio State head coach last week with a vengeance as the Buckeyes thrashed Tulane at the Horseshoe. Penn State is well known for their “white out” Saturday night home games with frenzied crowds. They are also known as a bona fide top ten team with one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Bookmaker is your source for up to the minute live betting, halftime wagering, and numerous wagering options that will give you unlimited chances to take advantage of this huge national showdown!
Watch this Week 5 matchup live on Saturday, September 29, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. ET from Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania. The game can be seen on ABC.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ohio State -4
Penn State +4
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
Odds Analysis
Ohio State is getting plenty of understandable public love based on their dominant look so far this season. Penn State’s reputation for being tough for home night games is perhaps keeping the number lower than what otherwise would be warranted.
Recent Form
Ohio State is 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread with an even 2-2 split on totals. The Buckeyes earned a 49-6 home payout over Tulane last Saturday in Urban Meyer’s first game back from suspension.
Penn State is 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread with all four of their games going over the total. The Nittany Lions steamrolled Illinois in a 63-24 road payoff last Friday night.
Key Players to Watch
Two of the best quarterbacks in all of college football will take the field for this one. Dwayne Haskins for Ohio State is a sophomore that plays with the maturity of a senior. Haskins has a 207.0 quarterback rating with a 76% completion rate, 16 touchdowns and just one interception. He is averaging 10.38 yards per attempt.
Trace McSorley may not have the big numbers of Haskins but he is a winner in every sense of thee word. Few quarterbacks manage a game more effectively. Running back Mike Sanders keeps Penn State diversified with seven yards per carry and five touchdowns.
Key Trends
Ohio State has been a subpar road favorite as evidenced by their mark of 4-5 against the spread when laying points away from home. Nine of the Buckeyes last 11 as a road chalk have gone over the total. However, Ohio State has been strong as a road chalk of five points or less with just one loss against the board in their last 12 in that situation. Five of their last six in that role have gone over the total.
Penn State has not been as strong of a home dog as the betting public may originally think. To show the Nittany Lions have paid in just five of their last 13 at Beaver Stadium as a pup. Five of the Nits last seven games as home dogs have gone over the total.
Head to Head
Last year Ohio State defeated Penn State but failed to cover as seven-point home chalks as the game soared over the total of 57.5. The Nittany Lions have gotten the money in three of their last four games against the Buckeyes with two of the last three meetings going under the total. Penn State has covered the spread in their last two home games against Ohio State with two of the last three meetings in this series at Beaver Stadium going over the total.
Free ATS Pick
Both teams have explosive offenses but the difference should be the Buckeye defense. Penn State ranks a mediocre 44th in the nation for total defense compared to Ohio State’s mark of 26th. Beyond that the Buckeyes are second in the country for scoring offense. They have just a little bit more to cover this one!
College Football Odds: Ohio State 27, Penn State 17
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