College Football Lines: Minnesota vs Penn State

Written October 14, 2009 by Kyle Hunter

Minnesota travels to Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions of Penn State in Big 10 conference matchup this Saturday. The Golden Gophers are much improved under coach Tim Brewster, but Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions still have lofty goals for their season. If Minnesota wants to put its name back on the map for real here is a great chance, but Penn State can’t afford to lose another Big 10 game.

Two years ago Minnesota was the laughing stock of the conference. Last year Minnesota bounced back and was much improved. This year Minnesota has improved even more and is looking to make it to the postseason once again. Adam Weber is a very talented junior quarterback who can keep plays alive with his feet, but do a lot of damage with his arm. He has one of the best wide receivers in the country to throw the ball to in Eric Decker. Decker already has 46 catches on the season and 5 touchdowns. The big change from last year to this for Minnesota has been adopting a pro style offense instead of the spread. The team has put an emphasis on running the football and being balanced, and it seems to have paid off thus far. Duane Bennett and DeLeon Eskridge have both run the ball effectively this season. The defense isn’t as strong as the offense, and they have especially struggled against strong running teams. The defense is giving up an average of 163 yards a game on the ground. If you bet NCAA football, be sure to take full advantage of this incredible $500 match bonus offer from BetUS!

The Penn State Nittany Lions have had a very easy schedule to this point in their season. The one team they have played that was a quality opponent was Iowa, and they lost that game at home. The Nittany Lions certainly have the potential to be a major contender, but they’ll have to step up their level of play. Evan Royster is a very talented tailback, but he has yet to really get going this season and Penn State needs him in a big way. Daryll Clark is a nice weapon to have at quarterback because of his arm strength and his mobility. The defense is a solid unit that has only given up 10 points per game so far this season. The defense has missed its leader in Sean Lee over the last three games and his status for this weekend’s game has not yet been determined.

Looking at the most recent college football spreads, the Nittany Lions head into this game as 16.5 point favorites at home. The odds makers have posted the total at 50 points. The over is 5-0 in Minnesota’s last 5 conference games, but they haven’t played a defense as stout as Penn State’s either. The Nittany Lions are just 2-5 against the spread in their last 7 games. The Golden Gophers are 7-2 against the spread in their last 9 road games.

One would expect Penn State to win this game, but I would hate to lay that many points on a team that hasn’t proven a thing yet this season. The Minnesota offense will probably be able to point up some points on them, so Penn State will need to show some offense to win this one.

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