Breaking down Penn State’s betting odds vs. Maryland

For the second straight season, Penn State is a heavy favorite against its Big Ten neighbor to the south.

The Nittany Lions opened as 14-point favorites against Maryland on Sunday, according to VegasInsider.com, one day after a lackluster 20-7 win over Rutgers. Early money is on Matt Canada’s squad, with the line dropping to -13 before settling in at -13.5 on Monday afternoon. The Nittany Lions have just a 44 percent chance to cover at -13.5, per Covers.com.

The over/under is set at 55.5, an intriguing number given the directions of both offenses. Penn State, after finding the end zone just twice against the lowly Scarlet Knights, has averaged 22.1 points per game in its last seven. Maryland put up 51 on Ohio State, taking the Buckeyes to overtime this past weekend.

The early money line stands at Penn State -525. In other words, a $100 bet would yield a $19 profit. The Nittany Lions have an 85.9 percent chance to win outright, per ESPN’s Football Power Index.

The Terrapins have been double-digit underdogs three times this season. They covered as 13.5-point ‘dogs against Ohio State, lost 42-21 to Michigan as 17.5-point underdogs a few weeks back and beat Texas in the opener as 12.5-point ‘dogs.

Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions have not covered as double-digit favorites since their beatdown of Illinois. Penn State was a 28-point favorite against Rutgers, defeated Indiana by five as two-touchdown favorites and lost to Michigan State as 13.5-point favorites.

The Nittany Lions and Terps, who are both 6-5 against the spread this season, kick at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.

This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 2:33 PM.