The Nittany Lions hope to be bad hosts on Saturday as the Wildcats pay a visit to Beaver Stadium in Week 6 betting action.

The Wildcats will look to vanquish their hosts on Saturday, as they are 5-0 ATS versus the spread this season, while the Nittany Lions are 4-1 ATS. Northwestern is 2-2 against the total, while Penn State is 1-4 versus the number.



View Northwestern vs Penn State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Oddsmakers at Sportsbook opened the Nittany Lions as 3-point favorites in the matchup, while the betting total had not been set at press time (check the college football odds link for the latest on the over under)..

Power Rankings / Prediction: The game pits the Nittany Lions, currently No. 42 in our OddsShark NCAAF Power Rankings, against the Wildcats, who rate No. 93 in the latest survey. Meanwhile, math and handicapping models run on this game predict a 36-34 victory for the Wildcats.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Penn State's No. 88-ranked offense (24.6 PPG) against a Wildcats defense that ranks No. 37 at 20.6 PPG. The Nittany Lions passing attack has averaged 245.8 yards per game, less than the Wildcats give up through the air (289 YPG on average).

Defensively, the Wildcats feature the league's No. 32-rated road run defense, allowing 114 yards per game. Penn State, meanwhile, ranks No. 100 in rushing offense at home.

Last time out for Northwestern, they were a 44-29 Sportsbook as they battled Indiana at home. Northwestern covered in the match as a 11.5-point favorite, while 73 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Trevor Siemian throttled the Hoosiers defense in his team's most recent action, throwing for 308 yards as Northwestern handed Indiana a 44-29 defeat.

Penn State won its last outing, a 35-7 result against Illinois on September 29. Penn State covered in that game as a 2.5-point underdog, while the 42 combined points took the game OVER the total. Last time we saw the Fighting Illini, they had no answer for Zach Zwinak as the Nittany Lions rolled to a 35-7 victory at Memorial Stadium.


Northwestern Wildcats Trends:
When playing in October are 3-7
When playing on grass are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing within the conference are 4-6

Penn State Nittany Lions Trends:
When playing in October are 8-2
When playing on grass are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing within the conference are 7-3

A few Wildcats at Nittany Lions trends to consider:
Northwestern is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Northwestern's last 5 games on the road
Northwestern is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Penn State
Northwestern is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Penn State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Penn State's last 5 games at home
Penn State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Northwestern
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Penn State's last 6 games
Penn State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Northwestern


Next up:
Northwestern at Minnesota, Saturday, October 13
Penn State at Iowa, Saturday, October 20