Penn State vs Northwestern Odds: Spread Growing in Nittany Lions’ Favor

The sixth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions will look to stay unbeaten when they hit the road Saturday (noon ET) to face the Northwestern Wildcats in Big Ten Conference play.

Bettors continue to back the Nittany Lions, who have gone from 21.5- to 26-point favorites (-110) since lines opened. The projected total, meanwhile, has stayed relatively steady at 46 (-110 Over, -110 Under). Read on as we break down the Penn State vs Northwestern odds in our game preview.

Betting Trends

The Penn State Nittany Lions have covered the spread in five straight games and are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games against Northwestern. The total has gone Over in eight of the Nittany Lions’ last 12 contests. Meanwhile, the total has gone Under in four of Northwestern’s last six games in Big Ten play. That’s important to remember when assessing the Penn State vs Northwestern odds.

Nittany Lions Still Perfect

The Penn State Nittany Lions continued their strong start, shutting out No. 24 Iowa 31-0 on Saturday. The Nittany Lions outgained the Hawkeyes 397-76 and forced four turnovers, covering the 14.5-point spread with ease. In doing so, the Nittany Lions improved to 4-0 (4-0 ATS) and rose one spot to No. 6 in the AP Top 25 NCAAF rankings.

It’s more or less what most expected of Penn State this season. The Nittany Lions were projected for 9.5 wins, and they’re already well on their way to that total. They’ve also seen their national championship odds climb from +2000 to +1600, putting them right alongside perennial powerhouse Notre Dame. As for the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions are currently +300 to win the conference, close behind No. 2 Michigan (+150) and No. 4 Ohio State (+220) according to college football betting odds.

The Nittany Lions certainly seem well-equipped to cash in on those odds through four weeks. While quarterback Drew Allar has received much of the credit for his team’s brilliant start, the Nittany Lions’ defense can’t go overlooked. The 76 yards were the third-fewest allowed in a game by the Nittany Lions since 1950. And altogether, they’ve given up just 35 points. Keep that in mind when analyzing the Penn State vs Northwestern odds.

Wildcats Hanging Tough

Trailing by 21 points through three quarters, the Northwestern Wildcats orchestrated a dramatic comeback to stun Minnesota 37-34 in overtime on Saturday. The Wildcats, 12-point underdogs, got four touchdown passes from Ben Bryant, including the game-winner to Charlie Mangieri from 25 yards out.

In the process, the Wildcats evened their record at 2-2 (2-2 ATS). Although they’re still a longshot to make any real noise this season — the Wildcats, for example, are +5000 to win the Big Ten — they’re already halfway to beating their projected regular-season win total of 3.5.

Remember, expectations were rock bottom for the Wildcats following the dismissal of head coach Pat Fitzgerald amid allegations of widespread hazing. Defensive coordinator David Braun, who’d just been hired in January following four seasons at the FCS program at North Dakota State, was elevated to replace him on an interim basis. Given the timing of that change, the Wildcats were in an incredibly difficult spot. Yet, to their credit, they’ve managed to hold their own.

However, moving forward, they’ll need to become more efficient offensively. Bryant has already been sacked 10 times, and his completion percentage is below 60%.

Handicapping the Game

Northwestern deserves credit for rallying against Minnesota. The Wildcats have done well in ignoring distractions and staying grounded. That said, they’ll take a few steps up in competition against Penn State.

On paper, this is a giant mismatch. Penn State has a standout quarterback in Allar, as well as a ferocious defense that knows how to get after opposing quarterbacks. Northwestern, which has already had protection issues, could be in for a long day. Look for the Nittany Lions to not only win, but also cover the 27-point spread.

For NCAAF scores and odds, betting news, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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