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

Penn State football will look to rebound after falling to Ohio State last weekend by welcoming Big Ten newcomer Washington to Beaver Stadium for the annual White Out. While still very much in the College Football Playoff race, the margin for error is now zero if the Nittany Lions hope to host a playoff game come December.

Can Penn State avoid the upset and get the job done under the lights? How likely is James Franklin to have his team firing on all cylinders after an emotional loss? We cover that and more in this week’s preview.

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 10 injury report. Please note that the Big Ten requires updated availability reports to be released two hours before kickoff:

• Kaden Saunders, WR
• Quinton Martin Jr., RB
• Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE
• Anthony Donkoh, OT

While listed as questionable, Anthony Donkoh and Dani Dennis-Sutton both saw playing time last week against the Buckeyes. Kaden Saunders and Keon Wylie both returned to the practice field this week, but James Franklin did not give a timetable for either returning to game action.

Washington:

The following players were listed on the Washington injury report for Week 10:

• Kevin Green
• Zach Durfee
• Elijah Jackson
• Ryan Otton
• Quentin Moore
• Makelle Esteen

Betting Odds (all via DraftKings Sportsbook):

Spread: Penn State (-13) vs. Washington

Penn State football is a 13-point favorite against Washington as of Saturday morning. The Nittany Lions are 3-5 against the spread this season, while the Huskies are 4-5 against the spread.

Moneyline: Penn State football -500

Placing a $500 bet on Penn State to beat Washington would pay $100. Penn State leads the all-time series 3-0. The last meeting was a 35-28 win for the Nittany Lions in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl.

The only non-bowl matchup occurred in 1921 in Seattle, where Penn State won 21-7. This will be the first matchup between the two teams on the East Coast, with the previous three taking place in Seattle, Honolulu, and Glendale.

Game total: over/under 46.5

The total has gone under in six of Penn State’s eight games this season. The total has gone under in seven of Washington’s nine games this season.

Penn State vs. Washington Game Predictions: (10-6)

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

This will be a big test for James Franklin and Penn State football to see how this team bounces back after an emotional loss. In the past, we have seen the Nittany Lions struggle in games following their first loss of the season. Sometimes, it has had a snowball effect on the loss column.

Washington is a decent, but certainly beatable, opponent. The Huskies are fighting to make a bowl game this season but are a few plays away from being 7-2 rather than their current 5-4 record.

This is a game where Penn State needs a fast start on offense to quell some of last week’s lingering skepticism. Nobody will give Andy Kotelnicki and the offense credit for improvement unless the Nittany Lions come out looking efficient and in control against Washington.

Similarly, the defense needs to force Huskies quarterback Will Rogers to push the ball downfield and eliminate the run game and short passes. While the secondary has been able to take away the deep ball largely this season, it has struggled in the short passing game. That was evident against the Buckeyes, who went 14-19 on passes under 15 yards.

I think Penn State starts slow but eventually pulls away in the second half, as we saw against Illinois. Don’t be surprised if the score is tied or within one score at the half. If the White Out night game energy becomes a factor, this may turn into a blowout. A solid home win like that should make everyone feel more comfortable about the Nittany Lions’ postseason potential with three games to play.

Prediction: Penn State 28 – Washington 10

Big Ten bet of the week (4-4)

Minnesota (-6) vs. Rutgers, 12:00 p.m., NBC

Make that two weeks in a row when we find ourselves in the win column. We are now officially back to .500 on the season after a disastrous start.

Minnesota has been quietly having a solid season after entering Big Ten play. The Gophers are 6-3 on the year and are 4-2 in conference. Winning four straight over USC, UCLA, Maryland, and Illinois, Minnesota is also a controversial call away from possibly beating Michigan and perhaps being ranked.

Rutgers, on the other hand, is going in the opposite direction. After starting undefeated, the Scarlet Knights have lost to Nebraska, Wisconsin, UCLA, and USC in the past month.

This will likely be a sleepy noon start in Piscataway. Minnesota could win comfortably, but definitely by at least a touchdown. Take the Gophers minus the points.

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