College Football Week 5 Odds Pick & Prediction: Northwestern vs. Penn State (2022)

Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 5 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: Northwestern vs. Penn State.

Check out our other best college football bets for Week 5:

• Tulane vs. Houston
• San Diego State vs. Boise State
• Washington vs. UCLA
• Alabama vs. Arkansas
• Michigan vs. Iowa
• Kentucky vs. Ole Miss
• LSU vs. Auburn
• Arizona State vs. USC
• NC State vs. Clemson
• Oklahoma State vs. Baylor
• Oklahoma vs. TCU
• UTSA vs. Middle Tennessee State
• Michigan State vs. Maryland
• Colorado vs. Arizona
• Georgia Southern vs. Coastal Carolina
• UL Monroe vs. Arkansas State
• Florida State vs. Wake Forest
• East Carolina vs. South Florida
• Texas State vs. James Madison
• Texas vs. West Virginia
• Rutgers vs. Ohio State
• Old Dominion vs. Liberty
• New Mexico State vs. FIU

Check out Thor Nystrom’s Week 5 College Football Power Rankings >>

College Football Week 5 Early Odds, Picks & Prediction: Northwestern vs. Penn State

Northwestern Wildcats at Penn State Nittany Lions (-25.5) | Total 52

Kickoff: Saturday, 3:30 ET

Now it’s going to get ugly. For those who don’t live in Chicago like I do and probably rarely follow Northwestern football, the Wildcats have followed up their season-opening win over Nebraska with home losses to Duke, Southern Illinois (FCS), and most recently, Miami (Ohio).

That is disgusting. But this is the spot where Pat Fitzgerald’s bunch thrives. Since Fitzgerald’s first year in 2006, the Wildcats are 33-21 ATS as an away underdog and 14-7 against the number in this situation since 2015.

The point is Fitzgerald is an expert at uglifying up games against far superior opponents on paper. If Northwestern does have an advantage in this game, it’s through the air. The Wildcats actually rank 20th nationally in passing offense, averaging 304.8 yards per game through the air. They could find some success against a Penn State secondary that ranks 112th in pass defense.

Shop around for the best number, as some sportsbooks have this line as high as -27. But hold your nose and hope for some more Northwestern nonsense against ranked opponents.

The pick: Northwestern +25.5, play to +24 (-110 on FanDuel)

What is Betting Against the Spread?

Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.

What is an Over/Under Bet?

Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.

Prop Bet Analyzer: View top rated props and historical prop performance by player >>

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