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Indiana vs. Penn State Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 9

By Reed Wallach

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws the
Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws the / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA
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Penn State was humbled in Week 8, losing to Ohio State in a poor offensive effort on the road that confirmed fears about the Nittany Lions' inability to generate explosive passes.

However, this is a significant drop in class for Penn State, which goes from playing one of the best teams in the Big Ten to one of the worst on Saturday when the team hosts Indiana at home. Penn State is a massive favorite in Week 9, can the team get back on track and cover against an outmatched opponent?

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Indiana vs. Penn State Odds, Spread and Total

Penn State vs. Indiana Betting Trends

  • Penn State is 6-1 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Indiana is 3-4 ATS this season
  • Indiana is 1-3 ATS as an underdog this season
  • Indiana has gone OVER in five of seven games this season

Indiana vs. Penn State How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, October 28th
  • Game Time: 12:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Beaver Stadium
  • How to Watch (TV): CBS
  • Indiana Record: 2-5
  • Penn Sttae Record: 6-1

Indiana vs. Penn State Key Players to Watch

Indiana

Brendan Sorsby: Indiana has seemingly landed on a quarterback for the rest of the season, but Sorsby didn't lift the offense against Rutgers. He completed less than 50% of his passes for only 126 yards with one touchdown pass but did run for 49 yards on 11 carries, including a touchdown. However, on the road against one of the best defenses in college football, he's likely going to struggle.

Penn State

Drew Allar: I had wondered why Penn State wasn't even bothering to generate explosive plays ahead of the Ohio State game, but it turns out the team isn't capable of it. The Nittany Lions' lack of a vertical passing game was on display in the team's loss to Ohio State last weekend as Allar completed only 18 of his 42 passes for 191 yards. Overall, PSU's offense averaged less than four yards per play in Columbus.

Indiana vs. Penn State Prediction and Pick

Get more college football coverage with our betting breakdown on Clemson and USC!

Penn State was exposed on a national scale against a College Football Playoff contender in Ohio State, scoring only 12 points on the road. However, that's not all that relevant to this matchup as Penn State should get back to dominating lesser foes with ease.

Prior to the Ohio State clunker, Penn State beat its opponents by an average margin of more than 36 points. The defense has been up to the task this season, first in both EPA/Play and success rate. Some of that is part of the easy schedule, but Indiana's offense is 98th in EPA/Play won't put up much of a fight on the road in this one after struggling to keep pace with Rutgers at home last week.

The Nittany Lions have lacked a ton of offensive pop this season, outside the top 100 in explosive play rate, but this can be a great landing spot for the offense that can force-feed Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen on the ground as the Hoosiers are outside the top 90 in EPA/Rush and is outside the top 100 in defensive line yards.

The home favorites have shown an ability to dismantle lesser opponents, covering in every game prior to last week, and I expect them to get back on track quickly with a blowout win against Indiana.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Track Reed's bets here!

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