Michigan vs. Penn State odds: Early point spread released on Wolverines, Nittany Lions
The Big Ten East is gearing up for one of its biggest games of the season on Saturday. Then, the Michigan Wolverines are going to travel to Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions for a game that’s likely going to help to decide who wins the Big Ten East.
Now, the early odds on this massive game are already coming out from the desert. According to FanDuel, Michigan is a 7.0-point favorite to win on the road. The point total for the game is also currently set to 46.5 points.
Both Penn State and Michigan are still in the race to win the Big Ten East. The path is easier for Michigan. With a win, the Wolverines would have the inside track to win the East, with a game against rival Ohio State still on the horizon. However, if the Nittany Lions win, the Big Ten may be headed for a three-way tie in the East, with Penn State already losing to Ohio State.
This is a massive game for the Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin. He has struggled in his time at Penn State against elite competition, going just 4-15 against Ohio State and Michigan during his time in Happy Valley. For all the success Franklin has had at Penn State, including a win in last year’s Rose Bowl, getting over the hump in the Big Ten East has been a struggle.
On the other side of the ball, Michigan is playing the season out under a cloud of suspicion amid the sign-stealing and impermissible scouting scandal that is currently being investigated by the NCAA.
The game between Michigan and Penn State is set to kick off at noon on Saturday.
James Franklin didn’t want to look ahead to Michigan
Over the weekend, Penn State blew out the Maryland Terrapins in a big Big Ten battle. That game was a huge boost of confidence for the Nittany Lions going into a tough game against the Michigan Wolverines. Despite that big game on the horizon, James Franklin didn’t want to look ahead to the Wolverines.
“My friend Annie says I don’t smile enough. I’m not talking about Michigan, but I’ll smile for Annie,” Franklin said.
Franklin also praised how his team played at Maryland, clearly enjoying the win against one of his former schools.
“Well, we just played really good complementary football. Offense, defense, and special teams. We were able to get off the field on defense and created some turnovers on defense. We’ve done a really good job of protecting the ball on offense all year long, but we were a little more explosive. Then on special teams, obviously the big return and obviously the field goals were big for us.”