No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 5 Michigan Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 7

This could be the biggest game in the Big 10 conference all year, or at least until either Penn State or Michigan plays Ohio State. This isn’t quite a title fight with the belt on the line, but the winner of this one firmly establishes themselves as the No. 1 contender to the heavyweight champion of the Big 10. It’ll be a good one at the Big House on Saturday, so let’s make sure to place the sharp bet and cash in. 

Penn State vs. Michigan Odds, Spread and Total

Michigan and Penn State Betting Trends

• Michigan is 3-3 ATS
• Penn State is 3-2 ATS
• Michigan’s games are 5-0-1 to the under
• Penn State’s games are 3-2 to the over

Penn State vs. Michigan Prediction and Pick

James Franklin may have regained the title as the best Big 10 coach who can’t ever get over the hump. Everybody thought that was gone when his Trace McSorley led team in 2016 upset No. 2 Ohio State on their way to a Rose Bowl loss, but 2016 was the last year Franklin beat a top 10 team. That came in their Big 10 Championship game win over Wisconsin. Since that game Franklin is 0-9 against top 10 opponents. 

Michigan dropped a spot from No. 4 to No. 5, but regardless, the Wolverines are a better team than Penn State almost across the board. J.J. McCarthy is a better quarterback than Sean Clifford, Michigan is No. 5 in total defense in the country and 29th in total offense. Even at the running back position, where Penn State has a stable of four and five stars and Nick Singleton has emerged as the next in a line of great backs at Penn State, Blake Corum is still better. Corum has run for 735 yards and 11 touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry. 

If Sean Clifford has shown anything from what feels like a decade in Happy Valley, it’s that he will absolutely never come through in an important game. Michigan could have stuck with Cade McNamara after he got them to the playoff last year, but they realized that J.J. McCarthy could be special and might elevate them to the next level offensively. That is what Franklin should have done with Will Levis and now needs to do with Drew Allar, because Clifford will never get the Nittany Lions over the hump. 

Pick: Michigan -6.5 (-120)

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.