Penn State football: West Virginia odds, injury report, & predictions

We made it. Week 1 of the 2024 college football season has finally arrived, and Penn State football is now less than 48 hours away from opening kickoff against West Virginia in Morgantown. The anticipation for this renewed border-state rivalry for months. Off an expectation-exceeding season in 2023, the Mountaineers feel primed to make some noise in 2024, starting with an upset of the No. 8 Nittany Lions to start the year. Can James Franklin and Penn State come into Milan Puskar Stadium and escape with a win?  We break down the betting odds, key injuries, and everything else you need to know to prepare for Saturday’s game.

Injury Report 

Note: The Big Ten requires programs to release official injury reports two hours before kickoff each week

Penn State:

The following Penn State football players have injuries that are undisclosed but are described as “long-term” or “significant” by James Franklin:

Peter Gonzalez, WR

Jaxon Smolik, QB

Keon Wylie, LB

Zuriah Fisher, DE

The following Penn State football players have been described as having “bumps and bruises” by James Franklin, and their status for Saturday is to be determined:

Kaden Saunders, WR

Khalil Dinkins, TE

© Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia:

N/A

Betting Odds (all via DraftKings Sportsbook):

Spread: Penn State football (-8) vs. West Virginia

The Nittany Lions enter Saturday’s matchup as much lower favorites than last season’s contest in Beaver Stadium, sitting as an 8-point favorite as of Thursday afternoon. Penn State is 15-4-1 against the spread in its last 20 games and 5-1 against the spread in its last six road games.

West Virginia is 8-4 against the spread in its last 12 games. The Mountaineers are 5-1 against the spread in their last six home games.

Moneyline: Penn State football (-305)

Placing a $305 bet on Penn State to beat West Virginia would pay $100. Penn State football leads the series 49-9-2 since 1904. The Nittany Lions are currently on a five-game win streak against the Mountaineers. Last year, Penn State took down West Virginia 38-15 in Beaver Stadium.

Game total: over/under 51.5

The total has gone over in seven of Penn State’s last nine games played on a Saturday when on the road. The total has gone over in six of West Virginia’s last eight games.

Penn State vs. West Virginia game predictions:

© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State will be breaking in three new coordinators, with Andy Kotelnicki (offense), Tom Allen (defense), and Justin Lustig (special teams) all joining the staff this offseason.

The offense is the side of the ball with more unknowns, especially at wide receiver. A road trip to a tough environment in Morgantown with potentially wet conditions could become a trial by fire for the Nittany Lions offense.

The spread has already moved down from the opening at -12 in May and steadying at -10 throughout most of the summer. However, I think this game will end as a double-digit margin because of how Kotelnicki can get star running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen involved. The defense may have subtle differences from what it looked like under Manny Diaz, but it should still be dominant.

West Virginia has much higher expectations this season compared to 2023. However, The home-field advantage takes a slight hit with the game being at noon. Garett Greene will need to improve his accuracy and not turn the ball over to give the Mountaineers a chance.

I would take both Penn State minus the points and with the over. I think the game is relatively close at halftime, with the Nittany Lions wearing down the Mountaineer defensive line in the second half to blow it open.

Prediction: Penn State 41 – West Virginia 17

Big Ten bet of the week:

LSU vs. USC (Over 64), September 1, 7:30 p.m. ET ABC

This primetime matchup will hinge on whether either team improved their defense from last season. There have been defensive coordinator changes at both programs, but it remains to be seen whether it was a talent or coaching issue.

This will be a tough game for both defenses, as USC and LSU project to be two of the most explosive offenses in college football in 2024. I would take the over in this game strictly because of the unknowns with each defense. Don’t be surprised if this total ends up reaching the 80s.

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