The No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions (-14) are heading west to battle their Big 10 counterpart Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. This crucial daytime game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to ABC.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview
Indiana enters this Big 10 game as a significant underdog and is currently being given 14 points. The Nittany Lions are also receiving -735 moneyline odds while the Hoosiers are +500. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 61 points, and some good live betting possibilities might be unveiled throughout this matchup.
This game’s O/U has not changed after it was initially set at 61. Having said that, the line opened at 13 and the early action has leaned toward the Nittany Lions.
The disappointing Nittany Lions are down 6.0 units so far in 2018 and 4-2 against the spread (ATS). The team has posted an O/U record of 4-2. The Hoosiers have gained 2.0 units this season. The team is 2-5 ATS and has an O/U record of 4-3.
The Nittany Lions have gone 4-2 straight up (SU), including 1-2 SU against conference opponents. The Hoosiers are 4-3 SU overall and 1-3 SU in conference play.
Both teams enter the matchup on two-game losing streaks. The Nittany Lions fell to Michigan State 21-17 in a game where their defense allowed the Spartans to run for 123 yards on 36 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Felton Davis III had a good day for the Spartans in that one with 100 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. Offensively, Trace McSorley completed 19 passes for 192 yards and one touchdown. Miles Sanders (162 rushing yards on 17 attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller McSorley (37 yards on 13 carries) led the ground attack in the loss. KJ Hamler (five receptions, 66 yards, one TD) and Pat Freiermuth (three catches, 32 yards) shared the receiving duties.
Indiana most-recently fell convincingly 42-16 to Iowa. The defensive unit allowed the Hawkeyes to pass for 320 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 159 yards. T.J. Hockenson had a solid showing, posting 107 yards and two touchdowns on four catches for Iowa. For Indiana, Peyton Ramsey completed 31-of-42 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Ramsey (9 rushing yards on 11 attempts, one TD) spearheaded the ground game in the defeat while Reese Taylor (six receptions, 28 yards) and Donavan Hale (five catches, 51 yards) led the pass-catching corps.
Penn State has run the ball on 58.7 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Indiana has a rush percentage of 48.6 percent. The Nittany Lions have run for 252 yards/game (including 266 per game versus Big Ten opponents) and have 22 touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Hoosiers are totaling 150 rushing yards per game (86 in conference) and have eight total rush TDs.
If 2018 numbers can translate to this game, then it seems like the Nittany Lions may own an edge in terms of RB effectiveness. Their running backs has produced 6.1 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 3.8 to opponents. The Hoosiers have recorded 4.1 yards per carry and given up a YPC of 4.2 to opponents.
The Nittany Lions offensive scheme has averaged 239 yards in the air overall (227 per game versus conference opposition) and has 13 passing TDs so far. The Hoosiers have recorded 250 pass yards per contest (286.3 in the Big 10) and also have 13 total pass scores.
Defensively, Penn State has let opponents run for an average of 155 yards and pass for 210 yards per game. The Indiana defense has allowed 227.6 yards per game to opposing passers and 157.7 yards per game on the ground. The Nittany Lions are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.46 to opposing QBs, while the Hoosiers have given up a 6.54 ANY/A.
Offensively, McSorley has amassed 955 passing yards this season, and has completed 76-of-138 attempts with nine passing scores and only two interceptions. He has a 7.08 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 7.43 over the last two outings.
Peyton Ramsey has completed 146-of-204 passes for 1,302 yards, nine TDs and seven INTs for Indiana. His ANY/A stands at 5.25 for the season and 5.73 over his last two outings.
These two teams faced off last year with the final outcome being a 45-14 win for Penn State.
RELATED: Week 8 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
Betting Prediction: Penn State Nittany Lions at Indiana Hoosiers
SU Winner – Indiana, ATS Winner – Indiana, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Trends
The O/U for Penn State’s last game was set at 54. The under cashed in the team’s 21-17 loss to Michigan State.
Penn State has averaged 6.3 yards per carry over its past three outings and 5.4 over its last two.
Indiana has averaged 3.6 yards per carry over its last three matchups and only 3.3 over its past two.
Indiana has lost four fumbles this season while Penn State has lost five.
In its last three contests, Penn State is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The O/U for Indiana’s last game going into it was 52. The over cashed in the 42-16 defeat to Iowa.
Over its last three games, Indiana is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
Indiana has dropped four of its last five games SU, with a seven-point victory over Rutgers on September 29th accounting for its one win over that span.
The Nittany Lions offense has registered six pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Hoosiers have put up one such play.
Both teams have allowed three pass plays of 40+ yards. The Penn State defense has given up eight pass plays of 30+ yards while Indiana has yielded 10 such plays.
The Penn State offense has created 13 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Indiana has created six such runs.
The Nittany Lions defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Hoosiers have given up eight such runs.
The Penn State D has sacked opposing quarterbacks 19 times this season. Indiana has recorded just 11 sacks.
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