The Big Ten is arguably the second-best conference in FBS, and it is loaded top to bottom with competitive football. There has already been chaos in the conference, and the rest of the season should be very interesting to see how it is going to play out.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers face a tough test as they travel to one of the toughest environments in the country to face the Penn State Nittany Lions. This is a primetime matchup scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET kick, and it is an important game for both teams to get back on track after tough losses last week.
Minnesota-Penn State Picks & Predictions
Gophers Looking to Upset
After the first couple of weeks, it looked like Minnesota was going to enter the discussion of the College Football Playoff. They had one of the best offenses and also one of the best defenses in the country. While the numbers were impressive, the competition was not, and that has proven itself; Minnesota has taken losses in their last two games and can’t afford another letdown.
In last week’s 26-14 loss to Illinois, news only got worse for Minnesota, as veteran quarterback Tanner Morgan went out with an injury and his status for this weekend is uncertain. If Morgan is unable to go, Minnesota’s offense is going to rely on Mohamed Ibrahim, though he has also been a little banged up this season himself. Even with his injury troubles, Ibrahim has rushed for over 100 yards in each game he’s played in, and if the defense can continue to play good football, the Gophers have a serious chance on Saturday night.
Penn State Statement Game
Last week was incredibly disappointing for the Nittany Lion, as they fell 41-17 to a very good Michigan team. Penn State was leading at the half but ended up getting the doors blown off in the second half, and Michigan ran for 418 yards in the game.
Offensively, Penn State has not necessarily been a machine on the stat sheet, but at 5-1, they have been doing enough to win games. Sean Clifford has only thrown nine touchdowns on the year so far, but he has been incredibly safe with the football, with only two interceptions. Penn State has split carries in the run game, with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen getting the bulk of the carries. The two freshmen have combined for nine touchdowns rushing on the year, and they’ll need to get going on Saturday in order for Clifford to open it up a little bit in the passing game.
Minnesota vs. Penn State Prediction
While Penn State struggled against an elite opponent last weekend, it doesn’t take away the fact that they’re still a good football team with a lot to play for. Saturday night at Beaver Stadium is always electric and makes for a very tough environment for any visiting team. Penn State hosts as a 4.5-point favorite, and the game total is 44.5 points.
Penn State should cover this 4.5-point spread and come away with a victory, but it won’t be easy by any means. With Penn State struggling to get yards through the air as of late, look for the Nittany Lions to rely on a heavy run game, as Minnesota still ranks fifth in the FBS in opponent yards passing per game.
A 44.5-point total is relatively low but not surprising due to both defenses having played at a high level most of the season. Both offenses are in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten and are averaging just over 31 points per game each. They will both find some success on Saturday night, and this competitive matchup will make both teams trade enough scores for the over of the 44.5-point total to be a good bet as well this weekend.
Best NCAAF Bets: Penn State -4.5, Game Total OVER 44.5
Don’t forget to check out Stokastic’s CFB DFS articles too!
