Indiana vs. Penn State prediction: Odds, picks, best bet for Saturdays Big Ten matchup
Saturday’s tilt between Penn State and Indiana in Happy Valley features the No.2 team in the country trying to stay undefeated.That team is a 14.5-point favorite against an underdog doing its best to play the role of spoiler.If you’re just joining us, you may be surprised to learn that the two-score favorite in this game is actually Indiana, and it’s Penn State, which was ranked No.
2 in the AP’s preseason poll, that is relegated to spoiler.We’re living in crazy times.The Indiana Hoosiers are not your typical Cinderella.This is the second year in a row that Indiana can claim to be one of the best teams in the country, and everything the Hoosiers have accomplished is backed up by a ridiculous statistical profile.Indiana grades out as the nation’s best offense, per SP+, and ranks eighth in yards per play.The Hoosiers have a star quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, but they’re far from one-dimensional.In fact, only eight teams run the ball more than Indiana this season.
The effectiveness of Indiana’s rushing attack has allowed Mendoza to flourish under Curt Cignetti.Indiana’s offense is good enough to win games on its own, but it is backed up by one of the stingiest defenses in the country.According to SP+, only Ohio State has been better without the ball than the Hoosiers.It’s no wonder that only one team (Iowa) has kept the Hoosiers to a single-digit margin of victory this season.It’s hard to see Penn State joining that list.While the Nittany Lions are still talented and should be motivated to win the biggest game left on their schedule at home, things have continued to trend in the wrong direction for Penn State.The Nittany Lions only mustered 14 points — all of which came in one quarter — against Ohio State, proving that the offense is rudderless without Drew Allar.The defense grades out as No.
25 in the country per SP+, which is good, but you need to be better than that to slow down Indiana, especially when your offense can’t be relied ...