<p>Penn State and Purdue open their 2022 college football seasons and their Big Ten campaigns when they meet for a cross-divisional conference bout Thursday night in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers are actually coming off a better season than the Nittany Lions, but Penn State is lined as a road favorite for this contest.</p>
<p>Who do we like here for our free college football betting pick?</p>
<h2>College Football Betting Odds </h2>
<p>This week's college football betting lines opened Penn State as a 3.5-point road favorite over Purdue, with an over/under of right around 54. Early betting action then dipped that total to 52.5 and the spread to as low as -3 on somer boards.</p>
<h2>Penn State-Purdue College Football Betting Preview</h2>
<p>The Nittany Lions played a disappointing 7-6 last season, finished fourth in the Big Ten East, and lost a New Year's Day bowl game to Arkansas. Penn State actually started 5-0 last year, with wins at Wisconsin and over Auburn, and reached No. 4 in the polls. But the Lions played 2-6 from there, blowing a 10-point, second-half lead at Iowa, losing in nine overtimes to Illinois, losing a tough one at Ohio State, blowing second-half leads vs. Michigan and at Michigan State, then laying an egg in the Outback Bowl.</p>
<p>So the Nittany Lions are just 11-11 SU, 10-11-1 ATS over their last two seasons.</p>
<p>This season Penn State returns only 11 starters, the second-fewest in the Big Ten. Seven starters are back on an offense that averaged 376 yards per game last year, led by senior QB Sean Clifford (33 career starts), but they must replace WR Jahan Dotson (1st-round NFL draft pick) three along the offensive line. And only four starters are back on a defense that held opponents to 352 YPG, including just one of last year's top six tacklers.</p>
<p>With five Big Ten home games, this season but also a rematch at Auburn, the Lions are playing against a win over/under of 8.5.</p>
<p>The Boilermakers played 9-4 last season, tied for second in the Big Ten West, and won a bowl game. Purdue started 4-3 last year, including an upset victory at No. 2 Iowa and tough losses at Notre Dame vs. Minnesota. The Boilers then played 5-1 from there, with wins at Nebraska, at No. 5 Michigan State, and over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.</p>
<p>So Purdue is now 28-29 SU but 32-25 ATS in five seasons under Coach Brohm.</p>
<p>This season the Boilers return 14 starters, tied for second-most in the Big Ten. Seven starters are back on an offense that averaged 440 YPG last year, including senior QB Aidan O'Connell (15 career starts) and three along the offensive line. Plus, they added transfer WR/KR specialist Charlie Jones from Iowa. But they gotta replace last year's top three receivers. And seven starters return on a defense that allowed 367 YPG (that unit's best performance since 2008), led by three along the front four.</p>
<p>With only four Big Ten home games this season but nobody named Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State on the slate, Purdue is playing against a wins O/U of 7.5.</p>
<h2>Penn State-Purdue Recent History</h2>
<p>The Nittany Lions own a nine-game winning streak on Purdue, stretching back to 2005, going 5-3-1 ATS along the way. And only a couple of those games were close. Most recently, three seasons ago, Penn State led the Boilers 28-0 early in the second quarter, won 35-7 but just missed on the cover at -28.5.<br />
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<span style="font-size:16px; color:#008000;">Get more details:</span> <a href="https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/ncaaf/matchup/1637051">Penn State at Purdue Week 1 Betting Stats</a>
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<h2>College Football Betting Trends</h2>
<p>Purdue is 8-5 ATS as a home dog under Coach Brohm.</p>
<p>Penn State is 12-8 ATS in its last 20 games as a road favorite.</p>
<h2>Totals Report</h2>
<p>The Under was 10-3 in Penn State games last season, which averaged 42 total points.</p>
<p>The Under was 8-5 in Purdue games last season, which averaged 51 points.</p>