Bodog Beat

The Nittany Lions are 6-1 SU, 2-4 ATS, and are favored by 4.5 points. (AP Images)

No venue has given Penn State coach Joe Paterno more trouble in his illustrious career than the Big House in Ann Arbor as the Nittany Lions are 2-5 there all-time and haven’t won at Michigan since 1996 (five straight losses). In addition, UM is 7-3 against Penn State teams ranked in the top 15 – yet PSU is still -4½ on Bodog’s college football odds for Saturday’s game.

Bet on college football at Bodog.
Don't have a Bodog account? Join Bodog today. It's FREE.

Michigan essentially had a bye last week, trouncing FCS school Delaware State 63-6. Penn State looked very impressive on defense last week, holding Minnesota to 138 total yards in a 20-0 win. The Nittany Lions have won three Big Ten games in a row by a combined 107-20 and haven’t allowed a first-half touchdown yet this season – the only team in the country to do that.

But Penn State also has yet to face an offense this season as good as Michigan’s, which leads the Big Ten in scoring and rushing and is second in total offense. The Nittany Lions lead the conference in total offense and total defense. That defense could cause problems for Michigan freshman QBs Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson. But I would caution you, when looking at the football odds for this game, that PSU also has yet to face a team that was ranked at the time and in fact has played one of the country’s worst schedules by a BCS school outside of its loss to now No. 7 Iowa.

There is a key injury for the Nittany Lions to consider when placing your college football bets. Sophomore RB Stephfon Green, a threat to score every time he touches the ball, will miss the game with an ankle injury. The Lions’ No. 2 back has rushed for 248 yards (5.1 per carry) and three TDs this season.

Get all your online football betting at Bodog!