Michigan vs. Penn State point spread: Picking Wolverines vs. Nittany Lions

There is plenty going on with the Michigan football program away from the field, but on it, the Wolverines continue to look like one of the best teams in the nation. Jim Harbaugh‘s squad will face its toughest test of the season to date this weekend as Michigan will play at Penn State.

On3’s Andy Staples and The Athletic’s Max Olson recently previewed the game and predicted who will win the game, as well as cover the spread. The Wolverines enter the matchup favored by 5.5-points.

“My question is, how does Penn State generate points in this game?” Olson said. “Michigan’s defense is so good. It’s a group that flat out will not allow explosives – run or pass.”

Michigan currently leads the nation in total defense and scoring defense, as the Wolverines are allowing 231.4 yards and 6.7 points per game.

That’s bad news for a Penn State offense that has been inconsistent this year, including struggling against an elite Ohio State defense earlier this season. Statistically, this Michigan defense is better than Ohio state’s, although the Wolverines have also played an easier schedule.

To that point, the Penn State defense will be by far the best that the Michigan offense has faced this year. Staples is interested to see how Michigan’s offense looks against a loaded Nittany Lions defense.

“We don’t know what Michigan’s offense will look like against an elite defense,” Staples said. “Penn State’s defense is very good, especially if they get Chop Robinson back. So we could be looking at an Iowa game, for all we know.”

Olson agrees and believes that we’ll know a lot more about JJ McCarthy and the Michigan offense after the Penn State game.

“I think we’re all intrigued to see, can JJ McCarthy go super hero mode against one of the best defenses in the country? I’m sure all the NFL scouts are interested to see that,” Olson said.

While this game is a big step up in competition for Michigan, both Olson and Staples expect the Wolverines to take care of business on the road. They picked Michigan to not only beat the Nittany Lions but to cover the point spread.

“It’s an interesting matchup for this Michigan offense, but I still feel like it’s a cover for Michigan. … I’m not quite convinced yet that this stuff is getting into the locker room and rattling this team at all,” Olson said.

Added Staples: “I think Michigan’s going to win this game and cover this spread, and I’m just fascinated by the whole thing, because these next few weeks are going to be wild.”

Staples also spoke about the possibility of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh missing the game due to sign-stealing accusations. If that does happen, he doesn’t expect it to change much, if at all, in regards to how the Wolverines play.

“I don’t think it matters at all. I don’t think the players are affected by this whatsoever,” he said. “And again, whether Jim Harbaugh is there or not, I don’t think it’s going to matter. I really don’t I think he’s kind of set it in motion and this team can function without him.”