The sixth-ranked Michigan Wolverines look to snap a two-game losing streak to the Penn State Nittany Lions when they meet in a key Big Ten Conference East Division matchup. The Wolverines (8-1, 5-1), who are 2-1 on the road, have dropped three of the past four games against Penn State and five of their past six meetings at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions (6-3, 3-3), who have dropped three of four overall, have fallen to fourth in the division, three games behind first-place Ohio State. Penn State won last year’s meeting in Ann Arbor, Mich., 27-17.
The game from University Park, Pa., is slated to start at noon ET. Michigan is averaging 451.4 yards of offense per game this season, 25th-best in the nation, while Penn State averages 375.1, 92nd-best. The Wolverines are favored by 1.5 points in the latest Michigan vs. Penn State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 48.5. Before making any Penn State vs. Michigan picks, you need to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 11 of the 2021 season on a 31-20 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan vs. Penn State and just locked in its Week 11 CFB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are the college football odds and betting lines and trends for Penn State vs. Michigan:
- Michigan vs. Penn State spread: Michigan -1.5
- Michigan vs. Penn State over-under: 48.5 points
- Michigan vs. Penn State money line: Michigan -125, Penn State +105
- MICH: The Wolverines are 7-2 against the spread this season
- PSU: The Nittany Lions have won three of the last four meetings vs. Michigan
Featured Game | Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Michigan Wolverines
Why Michigan can cover
Junior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson is having a solid season and leads the Wolverines in receiving. Johnson has 27 receptions for 449 yards (16.6 average) and three touchdowns. Last week against Indiana, he caught five passes for 108 yards (21.6 average), including a 50-yarder. A week earlier in a loss at Michigan State, Johnson caught five passes for 29 yards. His most efficient game was Oct. 2 at Wisconsin when he caught two balls for 47 yards for two TDs, including a 34-yarder.
Defensively, senior linebacker Josh Ross has been a difference-maker. He leads the Wolverines with 61 tackles, including 29 solo, with a half-sack for four yards. Ross also has a pair of pass breakups. In his five-year career, he has registered 191 tackles, including 96 solo, with four pass breakups, 2 ½ sacks and one interception. He has two double-digit tackle games this season, including a 10-tackle effort at Michigan State on Oct. 30. Last week against Indiana, he made seven stops, including two solo.
Why Penn State can cover
Despite that, the Wolverines are not a lock to cover the Michigan vs. Penn State spread. That’s because the Nittany Lions have a veteran quarterback in senior Sean Clifford. Clifford has completed 199 of 311 passes (64 percent) for 2,371 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has been intercepted six times and has a rating of 141.1. Clifford has also rushed for a pair of touchdowns. He has thrown for more than 350 yards in each of the past two games, including a 27-for-47 performance for 363 yards and three touchdowns at Maryland last week.
Clifford’s top target is senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who continues to put up impressive numbers. Last Saturday, Dotson had a career-tying 11 receptions for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Dotson’s 242 yards are a single-game school record, and his 86-yard touchdown is tied for the fourth-longest pass play in Penn State history. Dotson is the only Power Five receiver, and one of two FBS receivers, with 240 yards and three touchdowns in a game this season.
How to make Penn State vs. Michigan picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 49 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan vs. Penn State? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Michigan vs. Penn State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished the past five-plus years up nearly $3,500 on its FBS college football picks, and find out.
