sean-clifford-penn-state-getty-blue.jpg
Getty Images

The Ball State Cardinals will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Both programs are coming off of season-opening wins with Ball State beating Western Illinois 31-21 and Penn State knocking off Wisconsin 16-10. The Nittany Lions jumped to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 with their huge Big Ten win to start off what James Franklin is hoping will be a big year.

This is the first meeting between these programs and both teams are hot against the spread, with Ball State covering five of six and Penn State covering five straight. The Nittany Lions are favored by 22.5 points in the latest Penn State vs. Ball State odds from Caesars Sportsbook and the over-under is set at 57.5. Before entering any Ball State vs. Penn 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. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 2 of the 2021 season on a 63-45 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Penn State vs. Ball State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football odds for Ball State vs. Penn State:

  • Penn State vs. Ball State spread: Penn State -22.5
  • Penn State vs. Ball State over-under: 57.5 points

What you need to know about Penn State

Penn State didn't have too room to spare in its game with the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, but still walked away with a 16-10 win. Penn State's success was spearheaded by the efforts of wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who caught five passes for one TD and 102 yards, and running back Noah Cain, who punched in one rushing touchdown.

The Penn State defense forced three big turnovers to help the Nittany Lions overcome being out-gained 359-297 by the Badgers. Ellis Brooks had 11 tackles and a sack in the win while Jaquan Brisker contributed four tackles, including a tackle for loss, and an interception.

What you need to know about Ball State

Meanwhile, it was all tied up 7-7 at the half for Ball State and the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Thursday, but Ball State stepped up in the second half for a 31-21 victory. Cardinals wide receiver Justin Hall looked sharp as he caught eight passes for two TDs and 137 yards.

Will Jones and Carson Steele also formed a dynamic duo on the ground, with Jones rushing for 93 yards and a score while Steele rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown. Drew Plitt threw for 188 yards and two TDs and his experience should come in handy as he entered the season having thrown for 6,520 yards and 50 scores.

How to make Ball State vs. Penn State picks

The model has simulated Penn State vs. Ball State 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning under on the total and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Penn State vs. Ball State? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college football picks.