Two powerhouse schools in the Big Ten are having less-than-ideal starts to their seasons. The Michigan Wolverines visit the Penn State Nittany Lions as both teams look to get back on track. It is time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Michigan-Penn State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The Michigan football team has finally returned to the National Championship game, but at what cost? Their basketball team has lost three consecutive games and six of their last eight. Michigan hasn't had an easy schedule, but their two losses against Minnesota and McNeese St. don't look promising for the Wolverines. In their past four losses, they have been favored by more than five points three times. They are 3-7 over their last ten games, but more importantly for the bettors, they are 2-8 against the spread. The oddsmakers haven't caught up to the fact that Michigan may not be good this year, and that could continue on the road at Penn State.

Penn State has an identical 3-7 record and has just as little to be excited about. They had a big three-point win over Ohio State five games ago but followed that up with a loss to Georgia Tech at home. They then had two blowout wins over teams they were supposed to beat but were destroyed by Michigan State on the road on Thursday night. The Nittany Lions are struggling on the road this season but aren't a welcoming team for road opponents, boasting a 7-1 record at The Palestra.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Michigan-Penn State Odds

Michigan: -4.5 (-102)

Moneyline: (-178)

Penn State: +4.5 (-120)

Moneyline: (+146)

Over: 154.5 (-110)

Under: 154.5 (-110)

How to Watch Michigan vs. Penn State 

Time: noon ET/9 AM PT

TV: Big Ten Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Michigan Will Cover The Spread

One positive for Michigan's struggling team is that Penn State has had the same issues. Despite the defensive problems, Michigan's offense has been lights out. They are 43rd in the nation in scoring and rank near the top in all shooting statistics. Penn State's defense isn't as bad as Michigan's, but they are still below average in most metrics. It won't be an easy task on the road, but you could trust Michigan's offense to keep pace with the Nittany Lions and outscore them in the end.

Why Penn State Will Cover The Spread

Michigan's defense has been so bad that it's hard to trust backing them. If they continue down this path, their defense may be one of the worst the program has ever put forward. They rank near the worst in the country in almost every metric and have shown an inability to stop any team, regardless of caliber. Penn State is an inefficient team, but they average 76.3 points per game. The Nittany Lions will take plenty of shots, and against the Wolverines, a lot of them may fall. Taking Penn State may be more of a play of trusting them at home more than you'd ever trust Michigan's defense to go into a hostile environment and perform well.

Final Michigan-Penn State Prediction & Pick

The offense hasn't been the problem for Michigan. They are top-60 in every offensive category, with a scoring average of 82.3 points per game. They are a highly efficient team, shooting 48% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range. Three-point shooting is a big part of getting the total to go over, and Michigan will do its part. Michigan's downfall has been their defense, as they rank 332nd in the nation, allowing 78.6 points per game. It's shocking to see how poor of a team Michigan is on the defensive end, as they are in the bottom third of the country in almost every metric.

The Penn State offense is very inefficient, ranking 270th in the country in field goal percentage and 310th in the country in three-point percentage. However, despite the poor shooting numbers, they average 76.3 points per game. They are attempting almost 26 three-pointers per game and 61 field goals. Even if not many shots fall, you will score points when outputting that much volume. As previously mentioned, the Michigan defense will not give Penn State much resistance, so there may be an increase in the number of made shots.

All of these statistics supporting the over aren't just empty claims. Michigan and Penn State have shown that their games will be very high-scoring. Penn State's first four games of the season went under, but the total has gone over in nine of the last ten games. Michigan has hit the over in 11 of 14 games, including six of the past seven. These two teams are too erratic to lean one way or the other on a side. However, all the numbers point to this game being a high-scoring affair. Take the over and cheer for points instead of backing one of these inconsistent teams.

Final Michigan-Penn State Prediction & Pick: Over 154.5 (-110)