West Virginia vs. Penn State Prediction, Picks & Odds: Sat, 9/2 on NBC

College Football Week 1 has officially arrived, and although CFB Week 0 was a tasty appetizer, the real games begin now. There’s no better way to kick off a college football season than to reignite a rivalry between two programs that haven’t faced off since 1992. The West Virginia Mountaineers will travel to Happy Valley for a Saturday night primetime matchup on NBC, and the #7 Penn State Nittany Lions will be ready to roll in front of a rocking crowd.

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WEST VIRGINIA VS. PENN STATE PREDICTION: Nittany Lions -20.5 (-108 at PointsBet)

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West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction: CFB Week 1

The Nittany Lions and Mountaineers will play for the first time in 20+ years this Saturday, and we anticipate a big win for the hosts. This rivalry dates back to 1904, but Penn State has a 48-9-2 record and posted an unbeaten stretch from 1956 to 1983. Although we called this a rivalry, it’s been more of a one-sided affair, which falls in line with Penn State’s odds and our main West Virginia vs. Penn State prediction for Saturday.

However, head coach James Franklin knows they cannot afford to cast any doubt over their #7 ranking in the AP Poll, and all eyes will be on five-star QB Drew Allar. Although Allar played in multiple games last season, this year he is completely in charge and will try to lead a Penn State offense that’s loaded with skill players.

We mentioned it heavily when making our pre-season Penn State predictions, but Penn State’s rushing attack is elite and one of the best in the country. The three-headed attack of Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen and Minnesota transfer Trey Potts will be difficult to control, and Franklin said that this is the best tight end room that he’s coached since arriving in Happy Valley.

Things aren’t as bright for the Mountaineers, as head coach Neal Brown enters the 2023 season on the hot seat, as he’s failed to gain any momentum in Morgantown. He hasn’t won more than six games since taking over the job four years ago, and he will now have to turn around a program that finished last in the Big 12 in pass efficiency and interceptions in 2022. If Franklin has confidence in PSU’s young QB, we could see Allar tear the Mountaineers secondary to pieces.

West Virginia vs. Penn State Picks & NCAAF Best Bets for Saturday Featuring PSU -20.5 (-108 at PointsBet)

We haven’t even covered the Nittany Lions on defense, but that’s mainly because they should be a top-tier unit once again in 2023. Although CB Joey Porter Jr. and S Ji’Ayir Brown are off to the NFL, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has depth across the board and should compete as one of the best defenses in the Big Ten and country. The Nittany Lions finished as a top-10 scoring defense in the country last year, which is bad news for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia faced two top-27 defenses last season (#18 Iowa State and #27 Texas) and was outscored in those contests 69-34 and didn’t score more than 20 points in either game. If Allar connects downfield early in the contest, it could be a long night for WVU, and we still think the Nittany Lions could win by 21+ if they rely on their RB trio. Either way, we find it hard to identify a path where West Virginia keeps this game within three scores.

The Nittany Lions had a similar rivalry matchup against Pittsburgh at home in Week 2 of the 2016 season, which they lost 42-39. PSU fans will not forget that game, as it held them back from a College Football Playoff appearance, and we do not doubt that Franklin will see this matchup against West Virginia as a similar situation. Therefore, we anticipate a locked-in Nittany Lions squad, and our main West Virginia vs. Penn State prediction is on Penn State -20.5 (-108 at PointsBet).

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Latest West Virginia vs. Penn State Odds, Betting Lines & Spread for Saturday Courtesy of PointsBet

Penn State is a -20.5 favorite with -108 odds at PointsBet Sportsbook in Saturday night’s matchup against West Virginia, who are +20.5 underdogs with a -112 price. The game total (over/under) is 50; the over has -112 odds, while the under carries a -108 price.

A $108 wager on the Nittany Lions -20.5 (-108 at PointsBet) returns $100 of winnings if they are victorious by 21+, while a $112 bet on the Mountaineers +20.5 (-112 at PointsBet) profits $100 if they pull off the upset or lose by fewer than 21 points.

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