– Last Updated on January 25, 2023 3:43 pm
Free Week 5 Prediction: Hoosiers vs Nittany Lions Odds
Looking for Indiana Hoosiers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions free picks? Week 5 betting sees the Hoosiers taking on the Nittany Lions Saturday September 30th at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions like this Indiana Penn State free pick.
College Football Handicapping: Week 5
(2-1) Indiana Hoosiers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0)
Date: Saturday, September 30th
Time: 3:30 pm EST
Venue: Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania
NCAA Football Spread: Penn State -17.0
NCAA Betting Total: 61.0
Live CFB Odds
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For TodayClick here to view… CFB ATS Stats & NCAAF Betting Insight for this game!
Penn State survived a massive scare on the road last week against Iowa despite dominating the game statistically.
[dfads params=’groups=220&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]
Indiana has enjoyed a decent 2-1 start with their lone loss coming to Ohio State in a game that they stuck around much longer than people expected them to.
Indiana Hoosiers
Surely, the Hoosiers were watching Iowa take Penn State to the wire last week hoping that they didn’t pull the upset so they could be the team to knock off the Nittany Lions.
They also probably gained some confidence based on how close Iowa made the game that the upset is possible and Penn State is a beatable team.
That being said, Indiana has struggled mightily defending the run which doesn’t bode well in a matchup with current Heisman frontrunner Saquon Barkley.
Of course their gameplan will be to bottle up Barkley and force McSorley to beat them in the air. But, that is going to be quite the challenge and the Hoosiers shouldn’t be banking on it.
Indiana has struggled in conference games in recent years going just 10-25-1 ATS and just 7-19 SU in those Big 10 games.
They have struggled particularly against Penn State too – losing 9 of the last 10 meetings and going 2-4-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Check out the free College football picks from Cappers Picks experts today!
Barkley of course will be the key for the defense while the offense will just look to keep pace. Any turnovers likely will immediately be turned into points and the Hoosiers turned it over 3 times in their opening Big 10 matchup with Ohio State.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Losing the game last Saturday night in Iowa would have been devastating for the Nittany Lions as they completely dominated the game from start to finish and likely should have won by multiple scores.
So getting out of there with a win was important but a bullet they shouldn’t have even had to dodge. Sometimes these highly ranked teams get scares from lesser opponents because they play sloppy or careless and the game wakes them up.
It is tough to say that Penn State played sloppy or careless in that game. Things just weren’t falling their way until the last drive of course when they pulled off the win.
The Nittany Lions won every part of the box score except for McSorley’s lone interception as well as a few costly penalties.
[dfads params=’groups=219&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]
Nevertheless, Penn State picked up the win and now returns home – hoping to continue their great season and a nice ATS run at home for them.
Barkley is obviously the player to watch for the Nittany Lions but as McSorley showed some weakness last week, expect teams to force him to be the one to beat them.
Barkley is certainly their best player but McSorley could be their most important one if they hope to make a run for a national title.
He doesn’t provide the most confidence as being the most important player in terms of making a national title run but this week shouldn’t be the time that he gets further exposed.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Penn State is 7-0-2 ATS in their last 9 home games.
- Penn State is 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 conference games.
- Over is 13-5-1 in Indiana’s last 19 games on grass.
Free Week 5 NCAA Football Pick
Penn State’s defense hasn’t been tested by a good offense yet and this won’t be the week. The Hoosiers are capable of putting some points on the board but it won’t be nearly enough to keep pace with the Nittany Lion offense.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: Over 61.0
I like this game to go over the total with Penn State doing most of the work. Take a look at Penn State’s team total as well as I think their offense continues to produce – this time with more points to show for it.
Week 5 Free Score Prediction: Penn State 48 – Indiana 22
If you’re looking for more picks like this Indiana Hoosiers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions matchup we’ll be providing 4* free College football game predictions on the blog all bowl season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free CFB Football picks!
Check out our Updated College Football Betting Odds.