The No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) will be looking to remain unbeaten when they host the Northwestern Wildcats (1-3) on Saturday afternoon. Penn State has rattled off four consecutive wins to open the season, including a 33-14 blowout against Central Michigan last week. Northwestern is on a three-game losing skid following its season-opening win over Nebraska. 

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions are favored by 25 points in the latest Penn State vs. Northwestern odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 51. Before entering any Northwestern vs. Penn State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of more than $3,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Penn State vs. Northwestern. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football odds for Northwestern vs. Penn State:

  • Penn State vs. Northwestern spread: Penn State -25
  • Penn State vs. Northwestern over/under: 51 points
  • Penn State vs. Northwestern picks: See picks here

Why Penn State can cover

No. 11 Penn State has been one of the most impressive teams in the country through the first four weeks of the season. The Nittany Lions opened with a tough road game at Purdue, but they were able to leave with a 35-31 win. They have been dominant in their three games since then, beating Ohio, Auburn and Central Michigan by at least 19 points each. 

Senior quarterback Sean Clifford has taken care of the ball, throwing eight touchdowns and just one interception. Freshmen running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen have both averaged at least 6.0 yards per carry, combining for nearly 600 yards. Penn State has covered the spread in six of the last eight meetings between these teams, while Northwestern has failed to cover in six straight road games. 

Why Northwestern can cover

Northwestern opened the season with an upset win over Nebraska before losing three straight games by one possession. The Wildcats have struggled with turnovers as much as any team in the country, giving the ball away nine times in their last three games. However, turnovers are one of the most variance-prone statistics in college football, providing some value on Northwestern as a big underdog in this matchup. 

Their offense is led by star running back Evan Hull, who leads college football in total yards per game (181). He is averaging 92.5 yards per game on the ground and has a chance to keep his team in the game on Saturday afternoon. Penn State tends to struggle in the month of October, winning just one of its last six games. 

How to make Penn State vs. Northwestern picks

The model has simulated Northwestern vs. Penn State 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Penn State vs. Northwestern? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Northwestern vs. Penn State spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.