No. 11 Penn State Football resumes Big Ten Conference play on Saturday afternoon, hosting the Northwestern Wildcats, after rising up to knock on the doorstep of the top-10 in both polls, entering Week 5 of the College Football season.
The Nittany Lions not only emerged from the non-conference slate 4-0, with a blowout win over the SEC’s Auburn already on the resumé, but also got valuable playing time for young players, including former five-star quarterback Drew Allar, throughout the month of September.
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Here’s a look at everything you need to know for No. 11 Penn State Football vs. Northwestern
Penn State Football Injury Report:
Theo Johnson TE Ques – Undisclosed
Smith Vilbert DE Ques – Undisclosed
Coziah Izzard DE Ques – Undisclosed
Jerry Cross TE Ques – Undisclosed
Keyvone Lee RB Ques – Undisclosed
Zuriah Fisher DE Out Indefinitely – Knee
Northwestern Injury Report:
Charlie Mangieri WR Ques – Undisclosed
Coco Azema DB Ques – Undisclosed
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Penn State Football vs. Northwestern Spread
Penn State Football (-25.5) vs. Northwestern
Penn State Football enters Saturday’s matchup as a 25.5-point favorite.
The Nittany Lions are 3-1 ATS, while Northwestern is 1-3 on the season. Penn State is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games when playing at home against Northwestern.
Penn State Football Moneyline: -2500
Placing a $2500 bet on Penn State Football to knock off Northwestern, straight up on the moneyline, would pay $100.
Penn State leads the all-time series 14-5 and are 7-2 in Beaver stadium. The last matchup in 2017 resulted in a 31-7 Nittany Lion win in Evanston.
Penn State Football vs. Northwestern over/under: 52
The over has hit in 3 out of 4 of Penn State’s games, while the Wildcats have hit the over in 1 of 4. The total has gone over in 4 of Penn State’s last 6 games against Northwestern.
Picks for the Week
Penn State Football looked to be sleepwalking last week against Central Michigan, coming off an emotional win at Auburn.
Expect the Nittany Lions to bounce back against a struggling Northwestern squad.
After their opening win over Nebraska in Dublin, the Wildcats have lost three straight home games to Duke, Southern Illinois (FCS), and Miami Ohio.
Penn State Football is the far more talented team, and should be able to cover the spread. Keep an eye on the weather this weekend, because a rainy game could prove to be in Northwestern’s favor and make the game closer than originally thought.
Prediction: Penn State 35, Northwestern 3
Big Ten Pick of the Week:
Minnesota (-10.5) vs Purdue
The Gophers got one of the most impressive wins in Big Ten play this season last week, with a 34-7 thrashing at Michigan State.
Minnesota is quickly becoming one of the favorites to win a struggling Big Ten West, and welcome Purdue to Minneapolis this weekend.
The Boilermakers struggled versus FAU squeaking out a 28-26 victory at home.
This could be the game where Minnesota takes it to the next level and allows them to take control of the west by defeating another preseason division favorite. Expect the Gophers to cover the 10.5 and win this game by around 2 touchdowns.