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What is the Penn State-Michigan State point spread and total? The initial numbers are out

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel8 hours agoGregPickel
penn-state-land-grant-trophy
A detailed view of the Land Grant Trophy. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports)

Penn State is favored to win a football game for the first time in a month when it travels to similarly struggling Michigan State this weekend. The Nittany Lions have been underdogs in every game since their stunning early October loss to Northwestern as three-touchdown favorites that ended James Franklin’s tenure in State College. Spartans coach Jonathan Smith’s side will have the rest advantage for Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. ET matchup. It is coming off of a bye after losing 23-20 to Minnesota in overtime two weekends ago. Interim head coach Terry Smith’s side, meanwhile, lost 27-24 to No. 2 Indiana at Beaver Stadium on Saturday despite leading with less than five minutes to play.

“A tough loss … very, very difficult one to handle,” Smith said inside the Beaver Stadium media room following his team’s sixth straight loss. “There are guys in the locker room taking it very tough. Super proud of the effort that our guys put out there. These guys play hard. I feel awful for them. They do everything we ask of them, and we just keep coming up short.

“We have to hit the reset button again tomorrow and continue to figure out how to win a game. I thought we did a better job in the second half throwing the ball down the field. I thought it opened up our run game. We got a long run, and it gave us some opportunities to get back in the game. Our kids fought valiantly in the second half. We fought back from a 13-point deficit and just kept clawing, kept fighting, and it’s a testimony to these kids in the locker room.”

What is the Penn State-Michigan State point spread and total?

Two things will happen inside Spartan Stadium on Saturday. One team will end its six-game losing streak while the other will add a link to its chain of losses. And whichever team leaves victorious will have both their bowl hopes intact and their first Big Ten win of the season.

Penn State is the team picked to come out on top by the betting markets. BetMGM makes the Lions a seven-point road favorite. The total is 50.5 points.

The Land Grant Trophy resides in State College after Penn State beat Michigan State 42-0 in 2023 on the road. The Lions are riding a two-game winning streak in the series. And, they are four for five in the teams’ last quintet of meetings.