From October 2016 through September 2018, Penn State played six games as the underdog. They covered the spread in all six.
In all other games as an underdog since James Franklin became head coach in 2014, the Nittany Lions are 8-17-1. They most recently failed to cover +3.5 in this season’s loss to Ohio State — their lone underdog game this season — falling to 5-10 ATS as an underdog since that six-game streak ended six years ago.
That was the only period of consistent success as an underdog for Franklin in State College. Before that streak, he was 3-7-1 in those games — and is now 14-17-1 overall (.452).
It’s a stark contrast to his games as a favorite. Against FBS opponents since 2014, Penn State is 60-40-4 (.600) ATS when favored, including 6-5 this season.
As of Tuesday’s college football odds at BetMGM, the Nittany Lions are a 3.5-point underdog against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship:
Spread: Oregon -3.5 (-110), Penn State +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Oregon -175, Penn State +150
Total: Over 49.5 (-110), Under 49.5 (-110)
Visit the online sportsbook for more Big Ten Championship odds, including first-half spreads, scoring props, parlays, and team touchdowns. You can also find odds for the other conference championships this weekend.
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