Week 8 College Football Betting Preview & Pick for Michigan at Penn State

At the start of every season, College Football Betting enthusiasts look ahead at the schedule and look for the games where the top teams might fall. Generally speaking, the games that we highlight are the ones in which teams go against other big programs. The reality, though, is that when the losses do come, they tend to happen against lesser opponents who find a way to raise their game for one weekend. You need only look at what went down last weekend to get an idea of how that works. No less than 4 top 10 teams bit the dust, making the potential playoff picture a good deal clearer. One of the beneficiaries of the events of last weekend were the Penn State Nittany Lions, who moved up to #3 despite having a bye week. Penn State will be back in action this weekend and will need to be at their best if they want to remain unbeaten. It will be the Michigan Wolverines who will be heading into town, and they are a team that really needs a win if they are to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Penn State is a 9 ½ point favorite, and the O/U has been set at 45 points.

Week 8 College Football Betting Preview & Pick for Michigan at Penn State

• When: Saturday, October 21 at 7:30 PM EST
• Where: Beaver Stadium, University Park
• TV: ABC
• Radio: 104.3 FM (Michigan) / 106.1 FM (Penn State)
• Live Stream: Big Ten Network
• College Football Betting Odds: Penn State -9.5 (Over/Under at 45 points)

Weather Forecast

• Partly Cloudy: 17°C/62°F
• Humidity: 65%
• Precipitation: 3%
• Cloud Cover: 39%
• Wind: 3 mph SSE
• Stadium Type: Open

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Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)

• Record: Michigan leads 6-4
• Score: Michigan 25.10 / Penn State 24.80
• Rush Yards: Michigan 161.60 / Penn State 113.70
• Pass Attempts: Michigan 30.40 / Penn State 32.10
• Completion Percentage: Michigan 54.28 / Penn State 54.83
• Passing Yards: Michigan 187.40 / Penn State 206.20
• Total Yards: Michigan 349 / Penn State 319.9
• Turnovers: Michigan 1.40 / Penn State 1.40

Why bet on the Michigan Wolverines?

At 5-1, the Michigan Wolverines are in a position where they really cannot afford to lose another game if they have any hopes of being part of the playoff conversation. Even if they do go unbeaten the rest of the way, it may not be enough to convince the playoff committee, as the wins that the Wolverines have put together this season have not been of the dominating variety. Michigan needs some signature wins in the remaining weeks of the season, and the good news for them is that they have a few of those games on the schedule, starting with this one against an unbeaten #2 ranked opponent. More good news for the Wolverines is that they are currently on a 3-game winning streak versus Penn State, which includes a dominating 49-10 win last season. This is a very different Michigan team this season, though, so don’t expect a similar result. Michigan is 10-3 SU in their last 13 road games, and are 12-4 in their last 16 versus Penn State.

Team Statistics

Offense

• Average Score For: 271.17
• Total Yards: 376.33
• Rush Yards: 185
• Passing Yards: 191.33

Defense

• Average Score Against: 14.67
• Total Yards: 223.83
• Rush Yards: 85.83
• Passing Yards: 138

Why bet on the Penn State Nittany Lions?

It has been an incredibly good start to the season for the 6-0 Penn State Nittany Lions, and while all of their wins have been convincing, they have yet to play a team of the quality that the Michigan Wolverines bring to the table. You also need to consider that Penn State has routinely struggled against Michigan, although it’s fair to say that Penn State has not had an offensive threat as good as Saquon Barkley during those losing years. This is a young man who is a game changer and a Heisman candidate, and who could well be the difference maker in this one. Penn State has been close to impossible to beat, going 12-1 SU in their last 13 games in their own building. They are 9-0-1 ATS in their last 10 home games and 13-1-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall.

Team Statistics

Offense

• Average Score For: 39.67
• Total Yards: 456.17
• Rush Yards: 165
• Passing Yards: 291.17

Defense

• Average Score Against: 9
• Total Yards: 285.16
• Rush Yards: 117.33
• Passing Yards: 167.83

Latest College Football Betting Trends for Week 8

• Wolverines are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games at home
• Wolverines are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Michigan’s last 8 games at home
• Nittany Lions are 13-1-1 ATS in their last 15 games
• Nittany Lions are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Penn State’s last 6 games

Expert College Football Betting Pick and Score Prediction

It’s always a good idea to look at trends when making your picks, but this is one where the current trends in this match-up go out the window. The Wolverines lost a lot of great players to the draft, and that has hurt them offensively. They are going to struggle against a very good Penn State defense, and that will be their downfall. Score: Michigan Wolverines 17 – Penn State Nittany Lions 33