It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Washington-Penn State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Washington-Penn State.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are very thankful for the change from a four-team College Football Playoff to the new 12-team format. There's a very simple explanation for this: Penn State, under head coach James Franklin, has repeatedly lost to Ohio State and Michigan over the years in the Big Ten. PSU just did lose to Ryan Day and Ohio State once again, letting a very winnable game slip away in the fourth quarter. Franklin is a coach who regularly gets his Penn State teams to win 10 games. A 10-2 season has been the norm in Happy Valley, with PSU losing to Ohio State and Michigan on a regular basis. In the four-team playoff era, that has not been enough to make the playoff. In a four-team playoff, a team generally has to have no more than one loss to get in. In the 12-team format, 10-2 in the Big Ten will usually be enough to make the field. A 9-3 record will leave a team in the cold, but 10-2 should be sufficient most of the time. This is why Franklin has to be grateful for the expansion of the playoff. Penn State's loss to Ohio State will not knock the Nittany Lions out of the playoff. If the team can stabilize and finish strong these next few weeks, it will be in the field without any problem. Even with one more loss, PSU will still be in playoff contention. Obviously, though, the Nittany Lions don't want to take any chances. They don't want to give the committee a reason to exclude them.
Washington has had an up-and-down season in Year 1 of the Jedd Fisch era. On one hand, Washington has consistently gained more yards than its opponents. The Huskies have had no problem moving the football down the field. The problem has been UW's inability to finish drives. Washington has attempted far too many field goals, and has missed quite a lot of them, all while not scoring nearly as many touchdowns. The red zone has been a nightmare for this team. Washington has made untimely mistakes throughout the season. Fisch has to find a way to get his team to be better in high-leverage moments.
Here are the Washington-Penn State College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Washington-Penn State Odds
Washington: +13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +400
Penn State: -13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -550
Over: 45.5 (-115)
Under: 45.5 (-105)
How to Watch Washington vs Penn State
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: Peacock
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Washington Could Cover The Spread/Win
The spread is 13.5 points. That's nearly two full touchdowns. Washington has moved the ball on its opponents with consistency. As long as the Huskies can finish a few drives, they should score enough points to stay relatively close and cover. If Washington scores 20 points, Penn State has to score 34 to cover, and we're not sure PSU will hit 34 points in this game.
Why Penn State Could Cover The Spread/Win
Penn State's offense and quarterback Drew Allar squandered some very big scoring opportunities last week versus Ohio State. It wasn't that PSU couldn't move the ball; the main problem was the inability to finish drives. If Penn State gets red-zone chances in this game, it will not waste them. This team has a bitter taste in its mouth after the Ohio State loss. The Nittany Lions, still in very good position for the College Football Playoff, will have every incentive to play well and restore order within their 2024 season. Washington isn't good enough or strong enough up front to handle Penn State at the line of scrimmage. The Nittany Lions should wear down the Huskies and ultimately pull away for a comfortable win.
Final Washington-Penn State Prediction & Pick
We think Penn State will bounce back from the Ohio State loss. The Nittany Lions have a lot to prove and even more to play for. They are going to be angry, and Washington will catch PSU's full fury. Penn State will win by 20.
Final Washington-Penn State Prediction & Pick: Penn State -13.5