A pair of Big Ten teams will square off against each other on Friday evening when the 12^th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions and Michigan State Spartans face each other in Detroit, Michigan at Ford Field with the game starting at 7:30 PM ET on Friday evening and will air on NBC and the Peacock App in week 13 of the college football season.

Despite not winning the Big Ten West Division, the Penn State Nittany Lions are still one of the best teams in the Big Ten as they enter this game with a record of 9-2 and have a record of 6-2 in the Big Ten Conference with the losses coming on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 12-20 and at home against the Michigan Wolverines by a score of 15-24. The two losses were the worst games the offense for the Nittany Lions have had this season as they only averaged 13.5 points in the two games while averaging 41.89 points per game in their wins. The Nittany Lions have one of the best scoring offenses and scoring defenses as they are averaging the 15^th most points per game with an average of 36.73 points per game while allowing the 4^th fewest points per game with an average of 12.45 points per game and will look to close out the regular season with a win when they travel to face the Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State won’t be going to a bowl game this season as they enter this game with a record of 4-7 which includes a record of 2-6 in the Big Ten Conference which puts them in 6^th place in the Big Ten East Division and had distractions off the field dealing with Mel Tucker, whom they fired earlier this season. However, the Spartans have looked better in recent weeks as they have won two of their last three games with a win at home against the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a score of 20-17 and on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers by a score of 24-21. The lack of an offensive identity has hurt the Michigan State Spartans and they enter this game averaging the 6^th fewest points per game in the NFL with an average of 17.36 points per game.

BookMaker has the Penn State Nittany Lions listed as 20.5-point favorites against the Michigan State Spartans on Friday evening in week 13 of the college football season. Michigan State has won six of the last ten while Penn State has won two of the last three meetings. The Spartans are 6-3-1 ATS in the last ten while both teams are 1-1-1 ATS in the last three games in the series. The Penn State Nittany Lions are 8-3 ATS overall, 8-1 ATS as a favorite, and 5-3 ATS in conference games this season while the Michigan State Spartans are 5-5-1 ATS overall, 3-5-1 ATS as an underdog, and 3-4-1 ATS in conference games on the year.

Penn State has not only been one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season but has been the best team at covering the spread as they are 8-3 ATS overall and 8-1 ATS as a favorite while Michigan State is 5-5-1 ATS overall and 3-5-1 ATS as an underdog. I look for those trends to continue which is why I am buying the .5 point and laying the points when the Penn State Lions travel to face the Michigan State Spartans on Friday evening.

Spooky Express Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions -20