The Spread For The Ohio State/Penn State Game Is Way Too Narrow

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Ohio State is favored against Penn State, but not by as much as fans might expect.

The Buckeyes will travel to Happy Valley Saturday to play the Nittany Lions at noon EST, and as of Monday morning, is only a -15 favorite on DraftKings.

While that's still a huge spread for a game between ranked teams, it seems safe to say it's much narrower than people might have thought going into the game.

Ohio State is an incredibly dominant team.

The Buckeyes have been on an incredible roll this season. C.J. Stroud is currently viewed as the Heisman favorite, and it's because he's leading an unstoppable offense.

Ohio State has scored at least 40 points in every single game this season, minus the opener against Notre Dame.

Through seven games, C.J. Stroud has thrown for 2,023 yards, 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He's also completing a blistering 70% of his passes.

Will Ohio State beat Penn State? (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)

The Buckeyes just played a very good Iowa defense, and hung 54 on the Hawkeyes before the clock hit zero.

Does Penn State have a chance against the Buckeyes?

While the Nittany Lion's might have a puncher's chance, it's hard to envision James Franklin's team keeping the game close.

PSU has played one good team all season - Michigan - and they lost 41-17. In that loss to Michigan, the team passed for a total of 157 yards and rushed for only 111. The Wolverines strangled Penn State's offense while blasting their defense.

Ohio State is a -15 favorite against Penn State? (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Ohio State has an offense that is significantly better and a defense that is one of the best in the B1G. Will the results really be different than what we saw a couple weeks ago against Jim Harbaugh and company?

C.J. Stroud is having a great season. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)

Anything can happen, but -15 for OSU seems like a gift. In conference play, OSU's average margin of victory is nearly 36 points. While I don't see the Buckeyes beating the Nittany Lions by five scores, covering 15 seems very easy and manageable.

Don't be surprised if it gets ugly right from the jump Saturday. Expect the Buckeyes to roll.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.