by Rod Pearson
Monday, Oct 27, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, November 1, 2025
Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Penn State +20.5, Ohio State -20.5; Over/Under: 43.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Penn State +20.5, Ohio State -20.5; Over/Under: 43.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Penn State +21, Ohio State -21; Over/Under: 43.5 points
Season Record
Penn State Nittany Lions: 3-4 (0-4) (15th place, Big Ten)
Ohio State Buckeyes: 7-0 (4-0) (2nd place, Big Ten)
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Recent Form
Penn State Nittany Lions: lost their last game on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes 25-24.
Ohio State Buckeyes: won their last game on the road against the Wisconsin Badgers 34-0.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Analysis
Penn State is entering this game with a 3-4 record overall and they have a 0-4 record in their conference games too. They are 3-2 in their home games, 0-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against Iowa 25-24. Ethan Grunkemeyer was the starting QB and he completed 15/28 passes for 93 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Kaytron Allen led the team in rushing yards with 145 and 2 TDs. Trebor Pena led the receivers with 19 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Zakee Wheatley led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Zakee Wheatley came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Ohio State is entering this game with a 7-0 record overall and they have a 4-0 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 3-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Wisconsin 34-0. Julian Sayin was the starting QB and he completed 36/42 passes for 393 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Isaiah West led the team in rushing yards with 55. Carnell Tate led the receivers with 111 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 2 TDs. Caleb Downs led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Arvell Reese, Caden Curry, and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. each led the defense in sacks with 1. Sonny Styles came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Penn State vs Ohio State Prediction
The current betting odds have Ohio State listed as a 20.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Ohio State has looked great in their games this season with their 7-0 record overall and their 4-0 conference record which has them right at the top of the Big Ten. They are ranked 1st overall in the nation and they have looked like it all season, rolling over every opponent they play and suffocating them defensively. Meanwhile, Penn State has looked terrible in their games this season with their 3-4 record overall and their 0-4 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the Big Ten. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for this program this year. They took 2 really bad losses to UCLA and Northwestern which ended James Franklin's tenure as head coach and now their starting QB is out for the season too. They came into the season ranked inside the top 5 and were supposed to be threats to win the National Championship, but they haven't even won a game against a power 4 opponent this season. This isn't the game it was poised to be at the beginning of the season and Penn State will likely be another opponent that Ohio State chews up and spits out. The best way to place a bet here is on Ohio State to cover the spread in this game.
Penn State Ohio State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, November 1, 2025 (12:00 pm ET start time) is Ohio State 35 Penn State 6.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Penn State Nittany Lions: 3-8 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 3-8 ATS vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 2-8 ATS vs. good defensive teams who give up 17 or less points/game. 11-6 UNDER when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 5-1 UNDER vs. good passing defenses - allowing 5.75 or less passing yards/att.
Ohio State Buckeyes: 23-10 ATS as a favorite. 13-5 ATS in home lined games. 7-1 ATS off a road win against a conference rival. 14-3 ATS vs. good teams - outscoring opponents by 10+ PPG on the season. 23-13 UNDER in all lined games. 17-6 UNDER against conference opponents.
Key Injuries
Penn State Nittany Lions: L. Payne Jr. (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. O. Ioane (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Harvey (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Saunders (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Jackson (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. P. Gonzalez (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Nastasi (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Horan (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Smolik (QB) Questionable - Arm. B. O'Hara (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Artis (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Robinson (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Granville (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Kritza (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Brown (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Allar (QB) Out - Undisclosed. T. Rojas (LB) Out - Undisclosed.
Ohio State Buckeyes: M. LeBlanc (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Maggs (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Roy (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Stewart (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Tounkara (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Rodgers (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Rogers (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. George (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“I think we gave everything we had. There was no one that didn’t give great effort. We just have to execute.” - Terry Smith after his team’s loss against Iowa in their last game.
“We've got two guys who, when it's one-on-one and you're looking both sides, I have full confidence that both these guys are going to go score a touchdown for us." - Julian Sayin after their win against Wisconsin in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Penn State Nittany Lions
WR Hudson, Kyron
WR Ross, Devonte
WR Peña, Trebor
TE Dinkins, Khalil
QB Grunkemeyer, Ethan
RB Allen, Kaytron
Ohio State Buckeyes
WR Tate, Carnell
WR Smith, Jeremiah
WR Inniss, Brandon
TE Klare, Max
QB Sayin, Julian
RB Jackson, Bo
Statistical Leaders
Penn State Nittany Lions
Passing: Drew Allar (1,100)
Rushing: Kaytron Allen (612)
Receiving: Devonte Ross (255)
Touchdowns: Kaytron Allen (9)
Ohio State Buckeyes
Passing: Julian Sayin (1,872)
Rushing: Bo Jackson (433)
Receiving: Jeremiah Smith (602)
Touchdowns: Jeremiah Smith (8)
Coaches:
Penn State Nittany Lions: Terry Smith (Interim)
Ohio State Buckeyes: Ryan Day (8th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
