Penn State vs. West Virginia Point Spread Bet

No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. West Virginia Mountaineers (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)

NCAA College Football Week 1

Date/Time: Saturday August 31st, 2024. 12:00PM (EST)

Where: Milan Puskar Stadium Morgantown, WV.

TV: FOX

Betting Odds:

Point Spread: PSU -8.5/WVU +8.5 (Get a 100% bonus up to $300 when you enter bonus promo code XPREDICT at Xbet Sportsbook!)

Moneyline: Penn St. -300/W. Va. +250

Total: 51.5

Over the last few seasons, the Penn State Nittany Lions have been knocking on the door of greatness but have yet to find the right key to enter the promised land. Over the last two seasons, Head Coach James Franklin has led the Nittany Lions to a 21-5 SU combined record, which was highlighted by a victory in the 2023 Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, despite the success, the Nittany Lions have continued to play second fiddle to the likes of Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten. However, the Nittany Lions have plenty of reasons to be optimistic going into the 2024 campaign, and with an expanded College Football Playoff field, many believe this will be Penn State’s year to make a run at a championship.

While the Nittany Lions are expected to return one of the nation’s best defenses, there remain concerns on the offensive side of the football. The Nittany Lions struggled to keep pace with the premier offenses in the Big Ten last year. Going into the 2024 season, there are significant concerns around the offensive line and perhaps in the passing game. Needless to say, those concerns will be an intriguing storyline going into the first game of the season on Saturday when the 8th-ranked Nittany Lions travel into Morgantown for a showdown with the West Virginia Mountaineers. If the Nittany Lions struggle on the offensive side of the football, West Virginia may have an opportunity to capitalize with some dynamic weapons of their own on the offensive side of the football!

Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Analysis

If we were just comparing offenses, I would say that the Mountaineers easily have the better unit coming out of the gates to start the season. QB Garrett Green still has some room to grow after completing just 52% passing last season, but he did not make many mistakes with 16 passing touchdowns and just four picks. More importantly, the Mountaineers found a gem in rising sophomore running back Jahiem White who averaged 7.7 yards per carry totaling 842 yards on the season, most of which during the latter stages of the year. With White returning for his 2nd season combined with senior C.J Donaldson, the Mountaineers have an extremely talented backfield that will aim to run the ball often and use that running game to setup opportunities down the field.

The problem that West Virginia has in this match-up is not their advantage in comparing the offenses but their extreme disadvantage when comparing the defenses. The Nittany Lions ranked 2nd overall defense last year holding opponents to just 247.7 yards per game, just a slight margin behind Michigan’s National Championship winning defense. Penn State returns many key pieces to their talented defense and should be stout yet again. Offensively, the Nittany Lions will also lean on their ground attack led by Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Penn State’s strong running game and elite defense was all the team needed to be successful most weeks during the 2023 campaign. For this Saturday’s game against West Virginia, that could be the case again if the Mountaineers are not vastly improved defensively. To keep things simple, West Virginia was a perfect 9-0 SU last season when the defense simply held opponents to 38 points or less. However, the Mountaineers’ defense was consistently a liability and gave up huge points and yardage totals throughout the season. The West Virginia defense simply has to be better, but I am not confident they have done enough over the off-season to expect a substantial difference in their output.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Trends

• Penn State is 15-4-1 ATS in the last 20 games.
• Penn State is 15-3 SU in the last 18 games.
• Penn State is 5-1 ATS in the last six games on the road.
• Penn State is 6-0 ATS in the last six games against Big 12 opponents.
• West Virginia is 8-4 ATS in the last 12 games.
• West Virginia has hit the “over” in 6 of the last eight games.
• West Virginia is 5-1 SU in the last six games.
• West Virginia is 5-1 ATS in the last six games at home.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Prediction

Admittedly, this is a dangerous opener for Penn State, especially if they come out of the gates flat on defense or give up a few turnovers. With that being said, James Franklin usually has his guys very prepared, and I don’t believe that the Mountaineers will find enough success on the ground to enforce the style of football they desire. Do not be surprised if this game is close early, but I expect Penn State to pull away in the 2nd half.

Jay’s Pick: Take Penn State -8.5