NCAA Football Betting Preview – Penn State vs. Michigan State
Penn State Nittany Lions (9-2) vs. Michigan State Spartans (6-5)
Saturday, November 21 st — Spartan Stadium, East Lansing — 3:30pm EST
NCAAF Betting Line: Penn State -3 (47.5)
Penn State Nittany Lions has lost at big moments in the season, and despite a stiff record they still need Lady Luck to lend them a helping hand to earn a Big Ten championship berth. But the part of their fate that they have control in lies in their ability to win a game against the Spartans.
CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST NCAA FOOTBALL WEEK 12 GAMBLING PICKS!! —–>
With the fortune of an at-large bid in hand, they can’t afford another loss, or the BCS won’t even give them a passing glance. Can they come up big when they’ve fallen short before? 
The focal point of Penn State’s entire gameplan surrounds quarterback Daryll Clark. Simply put, when he plays poorly, this team loses. Against Ohio State he threw a pick and just 125-yards and before that he threw three interceptions in a loss to Iowa. When he isn’t tossing the other team the ball, the Lions are 12-0 SU with Clark under center.
So how does the Michigan State Spartans pass defense measure up in this game? At home they allow 203.2 passing yards per game, ranking them 56 th in the nation. But the brunt of their weaknesses come in their ability to keep points off the board. The secondary is the largest reason that the Spartans get burnt for 23.6 points per game in their own house. Michigan State is just 3-6 ATS when playing Penn but are 4-2 ATS when playing at home against the Lions.
The Lions, however, remain a betting team that you can trust. With so much on the line, and the surge of buster teams like Cincinnati and TCU in the mix, Penn State must keep on winning. On the road, they’re 8-2 SU in 10 road trips and are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games away.
While that hasn’t necessarily translated in to wins on the betting line when visiting Michigan State, the Lions have everything to lose. With their backs against the wall, and Clark needing a big game, I think the Lions come through and cover a tight line away from home to keep their BCS chances alive. Now all that needs to happen is a couple upsets in the next two weeks…good luck with that, Penn State.
Free Pick: Penn State -3 (UNDER)
