Ohio State at Penn State Odds

A sizeable matchup this weekend as the Ohio State Buckeyes visit the Penn State Nittany Lions. The latest college football spreads show Penn State as a 3.5 point chalk with the over/under posted at 39.5. If you are looking for a place to bet on this game this weekend, take a look at the $500 signup bonus offered by BetUS!

Ohio State rolled up a total of 1068 yards the past two games, but that was against New Mexico State and Minnesota and likely doesn’t reflect what they are able to do currently. Rather, perhaps it was the 184 yards against the Badgers or the 287 against Purdue. That, along with five turnovers, led to a defeat againstthe Boilermakers, without which Ohio State would be 8-1 on the year.

Statistically, the Buckeyes are ranked very highly on defense. This is a team that renders only 86 rushing yards a game (6th), 174 passing yards a game (fourteenth) and 11.7 points a game (6th). They have scheduled very craftily, with a lay-up against New Mexico State prior to this, which means, two weeks to set up.

The difficulty with the Buckeyes‘ offense is that Terelle Pryor, who arrived with so much hoopla to town, and was even touted for the Heisman by some individuals, has turned out to be immensely overrated. Pryor is a 54.6% passer while tossing nine picks, and it’s a disgrace that he is the only player furnishing anything resembling a ground game for this team, and Randon Saine has been slouching, with 143 yards in the last four games.

When you see Penn State’s position, Penn State is in a little sounder form with running back Evan Royster (859 yards, 5.9 ypc) and quarterback Daryll Clark (18 TD’s, 7 INT’s), who are both more uniform than their Buckeye counterparts. Do you really reckon the Lions (2.6 ypc), who are allowing just 9.3 points a contest, can’t get at least as many stops as Jim Tressel’s team?

No matter what they state they’re going to do with Pryor, there is nothing they can do to give him a better arm, or make him a more natural signal caller. Maybe it’s a defensive struggle. If it is, then you want the team that is less likely to make the serious mistake. That’s Penn State, the 3.5-point chalk.