Michigan vs Penn State Betting Odds, Tips & Big Ten Picks

Quick Tips:

• Bet Michigan -10.5 over Penn State with SugarHouse.
• Bet Northwestern +9.5 over Notre Dame with 888Sport.
• Bet Iowa +2.5 over Purdue with SugarHouse.
• Bet Ohio State -17.5 over Nebraska with 888Sport.

Last weekend was one of defining moments for a number of Big Ten teams.

Northwestern staked its claim to the conference west division lead with an impressive 31-17 win over Wisconsin. Penn State reaffirmed itself by fending off a hot Iowa squad winning 30-24 at home.

Purdue had all the momentum and spotlight in the world after its huge Ohio State upset the week before but could not sustain the run losing at Michigan State 23-13.

Those teams are all back in action this weekend, as are East Division heavyweights Michigan and Ohio State after their bye weeks.

Those two remain the only hopes the Big Ten has of securing a berth in the College Football Playoff, and as the regular season winds down appear to be on yet another collision course to decide it all when they meet on November 24.

Bowl berths have already been clinched by Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa. Maryland – in the midst of this week’s controversy around coach DJ Durkin, who was fired this week– can become eligible with a win this week.

There’s also a non-conference game of note thrown into the mix as Northwestern takes a break from its Championship Game aspirations to host Notre Dame, which has CFB Playoff hopes of its own.

Here are five games college football betting fans should consider:

No. 14 Penn State at No. 5 Michigan

The line: Michigan -10.5 at SugarHouse

Penn State is the highest-ranked team Michigan has faced since it lost the season-opener against Notre Dame.

But coach Jim Harbaugh’s team has gone undefeated since that loss and host the Nittany Lions Saturday looking to keep the streak alive while avenging an embarrassing loss a year ago.

The key for Michigan will be to stop Penn State QB Trace McSorley, who despite completing 52.8 percent of his passes and averaging 7 yards per attempt, is even more dangerous with his legs.

The senior has run for a career-high 617 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and scoring nine touchdowns.

Michigan knows its playoff hopes are on the line and the home-field advantage is worth something in Ann Arbor. Take Michigan -10.5 at SugarHouse.

No. 3 Notre Dame at Northwestern

The line: Notre Dame -9.5 with 888Sport

The reality is this game means everything to Notre Dame and not much to Northwestern.

While the Wildcats are embracing the national attention that comes from playing the Fighting Irish, who come to Evanston for the first time since 1976, the pressure is squarely on the visitors.

A loss by Notre Dame severely damages its quest to make the CFB, and surging Northwestern might be its biggest challenges down the stretch to stay undefeated.

Northwestern did a magnificent job last week on defense shutting down Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor to just 46 yards. The D will have its hands full this week with Fighting Irish quarterback Ian Book who has 13 touchdowns since taking over behind center.

Running back Dexter Williams has seven scores and is averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Miles Boykin has six touchdown catches.

QB Clayton Thorson has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Wildcats. Flynn Nagel is his top receiving target with 711 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back Isaiah Bowser (227 yards, 3 TDs) has started to blossom.

The energy will be high and the game will be close. Take Northwestern +9.5 with 888Sport.

No. 19 Iowa at Purdue

The line: Purdue -2.5 at SugarHouse

These two teams were on the upswing a week ago only to put forth disappointing efforts. Iowa went to Penn State and lost, while Purdue could not mount much in the way of a challenge losing to Michigan State.

Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley has been off his game for three weeks. While to his credit he’s not using it as an excuse, a right thumb injury appears to be the issue.

But Iowa’s defense is stout, and if the Hawkeyes can dial down the offensive contributions from Purdue quarterback David Blough and running back sensation Rondale Moore, the Hawkeyes can get back on track.

Take Iowa +2.5 at SugarHouse.

Nebraska at No. 8 Ohio State

The line: Ohio State -17.5 at 888Sport

OSU has had a week to dissect what went wrong in the Purdue upset. Despite being on a two-game winning streak, Nebraska comes into Columbus with the deck stacked way against coach Scott Frost’s team.

Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins won’t have to throw 73 times like he did in the Purdue loss, but the Heisman hopeful’s firepower alone will be enough to beat the Cornhuskers. Take Ohio State -17.5 with 888Sport.

Minnesota at Illinois

The line: Minnesota -9.5 at 888Sport

The Illini watched Maryland put 63 points on the board last week. Defensive coordinator Hardy Nickerson left the team for health issues this week, which is understandable.

Minnesota pulled a late win against Indiana last weekend, with Tanner Morgan making his first career start at quarterback and responding with 302 yards and three touchdowns.

Illinois coach Lovie Smith will once again have his team figure out how to keep the opponents from spending so much time in the end zone this Saturday. Bet Minnesota -9.5 with 888Sport.