Ohio State vs Penn State Free Picks, Free College Football Picks, College Football Predictions 11/2/24

OHIO STATE @ PENN STATE (OSU -3, 47.5)

CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS

Ohio State vs Penn State Free Picks, Free College Football Picks, College Football Predictions 11/2/24

BUKCEYES @ NITTANY LIONS 11/2/24

When the No. 3 Nittany Lions play No. 4 Ohio State in a Big Ten matchup on Saturday afternoon in University Park, Pennsylvania, Penn State may have quarterback Drew Allar available. Allar went 14-for-18 for 148 yards and a touchdown last Saturday, but was sidelined for the second half of a 28-13 victory at Wisconsin due to a knee injury.

Allar threw for a career-high 391 yards and two touchdowns for the Nittany Lions (7-0, 4-0) in their previous game, a 33-30 overtime victory over Southern California. Head coach James Franklin said Allar will be a game-time decision. Beau Pribula, who was 11-of-13 for 98 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin, is Franklin's reliable backup in case Allar can’t go. Pribula also gained 28 rushing yards on six carries. Both quarterbacks are expected to play for Ohio State (6-1, 3-1).

The Buckeyes are also worried about injuries. Josh Simmons, a left tackle and possible first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, suffered a season-enging knee injury in the 32-31 loss to then-No. 3 Oregon. Zen Michalski, his replacement, played poorly in last Saturday's 21–17 victory over Nebraska before leaving late due to a leg injury. The Buckeyes went 1-for-10 on third downs and only managed 64 yards rushing. It's unclear if Michalski will play against Penn State or not.

Both Franklin and Day need to restore their reputations. The Buckeyes' 2022 CFP semifinal loss to Georgia and their loss to Michigan last season were both black marks on Day’s resume.  The Buckeyes' loss to Oregon was another blow to their hopes of winning a big game. Day has lost three straight games to rival Michigan and is 2-7 against top-10 opponents.

Franklin is in the same boat. Since his lone victory in 2016, Franklin has lost seven straight games against Ohio State, giving him a 1-9 record. Penn State has won seven straight but is just 2-4 ATS. Ohio State isn’t much better. The Buckeyes are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games and 2-6 ATS in their last eight against Penn State.

Get free CFB Picks and CFB Predictions for the top games on the weekly 2024 CFB schedule from JA Cavalier, one of the industry's premier expert CFB handicappers. J.A. Cavalier has been  bringing the CFB betting community the best CFB free picks and predictions for nearly three decades. Visit daily for the best CFB moneyline and run line odds and game totals.

COACH RICK FREE PICK:

FREE PICK: UNDER 47.5

Last year, these two battled in a 20-12 Ohio State victory. The point spread in that game was 4 and the total was 46.5 Now a year later, the spread is 3 and the total is one point higher. That signals another tight game. Both defenses are outstanding and rank in the Top 10 in scoring defense. Four of the last five Penn State games and 13 of the last 20 Ohio State games have gone Under the total. Six of the last nine games in this series have gone Under the total and we should see another 24-20 type game.