Penn State football: Minnesota odds, injury report, & predictions

Penn State football is two weeks away from clinching a spot in the inaugural 12-team college football playoff. The Nittany Lions first need to travel on the road one last time and beat a solid Minnesota Golden Gophers team in what may be the final hurdle to reach the playoff.  

What do you need to know to get ready for Saturday’s kickoff in Minneapolis?

Injury report

Penn State:

Penn State football players out indefinitely with “significant” or “long-term” injuries:

• KJ Winston, S
• Andrew Rappleyea, TE
• Keon Wylie, LB
• Zuriah Fisher, DE
• Cam Wallace, RB

Penn State football players listed on the program’s Week 12 injury report. Please note that the Big Ten requires updated availability reports to be released two hours before kickoff:

• Kaden Saunders, WR

Minnesota:

The following players were listed on the Minnesota injury report for Week 12:

• N/A – Bye

Betting Odds (all via DraftKings Sportsbook):

Spread: Penn State (-11.5) vs. Minnesota

Penn State football enters gameday as an 11.5-point favorite against Minnesota. The Nittany Lions are 5-5 ATS this season, while the Gophers are 7-2-1 ATS.

Moneyline: Penn State football -425

Placing a $425 bet on Penn State to beat Minnesota would pay $100. Penn State leads the all-time series 10-6. The Nittany Lions won the last meeting 45-17 in Beaver Stadium in 2022 and are currently on a one-game win streak. The last time the two teams played in Minneapolis, the Gophers upset the then-No. 4 Nittany Lions 31-26 to end their undefeated season. 

Game total: over/under 45

The total has gone under in seven of Penn State’s ten games this season and over in five of Minnesota’s ten games.

Penn State vs. Minnesota game predictions: (12-8)

© Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State football must keep winning to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. Any loss, whether it be Saturday to Minnesota or next week to Maryland, would likely eliminate the Nittany Lions from contention because of their lack of a signature win. The Gophers will be the tougher of the two matchups and is considered a “trap game” by many in the media. 

Minnesota has struggled offensively this year. Paired against a good Penn State defense, moving the ball could prove problematic for the Gophers.

Penn State, on the other hand, is still looking for other offensive options outside of Tyler Warren. If the Nittany Lions can get their wide receivers going downfield, this game could trend toward a blowout. That is a big if, though. The production from the position has been less than stellar this season, and there isn’t a real reason to believe that it will change this week against a solid Gopher secondary.

I think this game starts out close, but Penn State continues to slowly build on its lead until it is ahead by multiple scores in the fourth quarter. The Nittany Lions should cover in this one and avoid the road letdown spot. I also think that with both offenses struggling to score, the under will hit. If the Penn State offense struggles once again, the total play may even be more of a lock than originally thought.

Prediction: Penn State 31 – Minnesota 13

Big Ten bet of the week (4-6)

No. 2 Ohio State (-10.5) vs. Indiana, 12:00 p.m., FOX

Who would have thought that Oregon would have struggled that much with an average Wisconsin team? I guess weirder things have happened, but you live and learn.

This week, I return once again to try to get a win out of Ohio State. I’m taking the Buckeyes -10.5 in their matchup with the Hoosiers. This should be a case where Ohio State flexes its superiorly talented roster and exposes Indiana as a fun but not elite team.

I see this game going two ways: Indiana pulls off the upset, or the Buckeyes win in a blowout. The latter seems more likely.

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