nate-carter-cbs.jpg
USATSI

No. 11 Penn State will face Michigan State in the final currently scheduled meeting between the Big Ten East teams. The Big Ten is adding four teams from the Pac-12 next season, so this will not be an annual game anymore. The Nittany Lions (9-2) bounced back from a 24-15 loss to No. 3 Michigan with a 27-6 win over Rutgers last week. Michigan State (4-7) has already been eliminated from bowl contention, but it has won two of its last three games. 

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. The Nittany Lions are favored by 21 points in the latest Michigan State vs. Penn State odds, while the over/under is 42.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Penn State vs. Michigan State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Penn State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Penn State vs. Michigan State:

  • Michigan State vs. Penn State spread: Michigan State +21
  • Michigan State vs. Penn State over/under: 42.5 points
  • Michigan State vs. Penn State money line: Michigan State: +949, Penn State: -1797
  • Michigan State vs. Penn State picks: See picks here
  • Michigan State vs. Penn State live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why Michigan State can cover

Michigan State got off to a rough start to the season, losing six consecutive games from mid-September to the end of October. Head coach Mel Tucker was fired early in the year due to sexual assault allegations, but the Spartans have won two of their last three games under interim coach Harlon Barnett. He most recently led them to a 24-21 win at Indiana last week, as Michigan State scored a game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. 

Freshman quarterback Katin Houser threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns in the best performance of his young career. Junior tight end Maliq Carr had the best showing of his campaign, catching nine passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Michigan State almost always puts together a strong outing to close the season, covering the spread at a 10-2-1 clip in its last 13 games in Week 13. See which team to pick here.

Why Penn State can cover

Penn State is going to ultimately come up short of its goals to win the Big Ten title and make the College Football Playoff, but it continues to take care of business against bad teams. The Nittany Lions have covered the spread in nine of their last 10 games as favorites, including their 27-6 win against Rutgers last week. Starting quarterback Drew Allar left last week's game due to an injury, but sophomore running back Kaytron Allen had 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns. 

Head coach James Franklin told reporters that he expects Allar to play on Friday, but backup Beau Pribula could have a role as well. The Nittany Lions have the second-best defense in the conference, while Michigan State is No. 11 in scoring offense. Penn State has been one of the best teams to back in college football over the last two years, covering the spread at a 14-3-1 clip in its last 18 games. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Michigan State vs. Penn State picks

The model has simulated Penn State vs. Michigan State 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Michigan State vs. Penn State, and which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Penn State vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.