NCAA Football Picks: Ohio State vs Penn State odds, preview, and prediction

Quinn Allen
By , Updated on: Oct 25, 2022 08:00 PM
NCAA Football Picks: Ohio State vs Penn State odds, preview, and prediction
  • What: Ohio State vs Penn State
  • When: Saturday, October 29th at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA
  • How to watch: FOX

Saturday, October 29th brings a very intriguing Big 10 matchup and one of the top games of the Online college football betting weekend as the unbeaten #2 Ohio State Buckeyes head to University Park to face the #13 Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. OSU is a perfect 7-0 and looks the part of a possible national champion, absolutely destroying Iowa 54-10 in Week 7 at home in Columbus. As for Penn State, they're 6-1, taking down Minnesota last weekend by a score of 45-17. This should be an intriguing matchup. Continue reading for the Ohio State vs Penn State prediction. 

Before we get into the betting preview, lines, and picks for this conference clash, make sure to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks.

Ohio State vs Penn State Odds

BetOnlineSpreadMoneylineTotal
Ohio State-16 (-110)-650Ov 61 (-110)
Penn State+16 (-110)+500Un 61 (-110)

Surprisingly, Ohio State is a favorite of more than two touchdowns. Although the Buckeyes have won five in a row against the Nittany Lions, every single one of those games was closer than the 16-point spread here. Last season's meeting ended 33-24.

Ohio State vs Penn State Preview

The Buckeyes have fully lived up to expectations so far, sitting second in the nation in total points with 49.6 per game. The craziest part? They put up 54 points against a stout Iowa defense and the offense honestly wasn't playing up to par. That's how good Ohio State truly is. Heisman candidate CJ Stroud threw for under 300 yards for just the fourth time this season but did convert for four passing TDs, with three different wideouts all collecting scores. Surprisingly, Jaxon Smith-Njigba actually had a limited role with just one catch, yet OSU still wreaked havoc offensively. The running back room of Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson also struggled, with most of the damage coming downfield. The Buckeyes got off to a slow start but scored 28 points in the final two quarters to pull away and grab another convincing victory. Overall, Ohio State is just electric on both sides of the ball and will be a handful for Penn State. They're also sixth in the country in total yards per game and top 20 in nearly every notable defensive category. No one has yet to stop them and I highly doubt it'll be the Nittany Lions.

Penn State is coming off an impressive win over Minnesota, but the Gophers were missing their starting QB. Nonetheless, the defense was solid and signal-caller Sean Clifford had a field day. He completed 23 of 31 passes for 295 yards and four touchdowns, with three different receivers reeling in at least five catches. Parker Washington led the charge with seven receptions for 70 yards and he'll be a key figure on Saturday. On the ground, the Nittany Lions rushed for 175 yards, with Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and Tank Smith all getting in on the action. This was arguably one of Penn State's best performances yet and it comes at the best possible time ahead of a huge game against a superior opponent who no one can stop at the moment. They have the secondary to keep up with Ohio State's NFL-caliber wide receivers, but the pass rush could have a hard time slowing down Stroud. If they can somehow limit his production, this could be a close contest.

Ohio State vs Penn State Prediction

As I said, the spread is quite steep, considering the recent history between the two programs. However, in my mind, Ohio State is really that good this season. Ryan Day's squad is unstoppable on both ends, and while the home energy should help Penn State out of the gates, I expect the Buckeyes to turn it up in the second half and run away with this one, covering the spread in the process.

Ohio State To cover spread vs Penn State
-16 (-110)
BetOnline

Take a look at our reviews of the top online sportsbooks for your best betting needs, including our GTBets review:

Meet the author

Quinn Allen

Quinn Allen leverages his broadcast journalism degree and passion for sports in his betting previews and analysis. Based in Kelowna, Canada, he has emerged as an expert voice with picks featured on OSB, MTS, SBD, and as a ClutchPoints editor. With a lifelong fandom of...

Online Sports Betting may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Rest assured, we avoid biases and provide honest opinions on sportsbooks. Read more here.