Penn State vs West Virginia Prediction College Football Picks 8/31/24

In this article, we will formulate a Penn State vs West Virginia prediction for this College Football Week 1 game on Saturday, August 31st, at Milan Puskar Stadium  Let’s take a look at a Penn State Nittany Lions vs West Virginia Mountaineers pick. To formulate this prediction, we will examine:

-The Nittany Lions recent form and recent player performance 

-The Mountaineers recent form and recent player performance

-Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Penn State

-Recent Betting trends and streaks involving West Virginia

-Recent betting trends in games played between Penn State and West Virginia

-A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for Today’s Game between the Nittany Lions and Mountaineers. 

West Virginia Can Open Up A Ton of Eyes

West Virginia believes they are a team that can win the Big 12, and a win here would really make quite the early season statement. The offense starts with the offensive line and they have one of the better ones in the Big 12. LT Wyatt Milum and C Brandon Yates are two of the best in the Big 12, and they are going to need to be strong here. Running back Jaheim White rushed for 842 yards and four touchdowns, and he’s going to have an even bigger role this season. Quarterback Garrett Greene is the starter, and he needs to have a big year. 

On defense it all starts with the pass rush, and last season they spent a ton of time in the opponents’ backfield. Ben Cutter is back with the linebacker corps and he’s going to be an X-factor. In this game, the defense is going to need to play out of their minds. West Virginia will play against Albany and Pittsburgh following this one.

Penn State Believes They Can Win the Big Ten

Penn State has fallen short the last couple of years, but they believe they have the talent this year to get the job done. A lot of people bashed quarterback Drew Allar last season but the stats don’t tell the whole story. The coaching staff was very conservative with him as a freshman, but this year I would expect they are going to let him rip a little more. This year they need to allow him to throw down the field more or they aren’t taking full advantage of his skillset. The offensive line is going to need to rebuild a little bit as they only have one player back from last year’s squad. 

The defense was elite last season, and they have a ton of talent coming back. Abdul Carter is one of the better defenders in college football, and the expectation is that he’s going to be even better this season. Kevin Winston leads a secondary that is filled with hard hitters. The secondary needs to try and create a turnover or two in this game. Penn State will take on Bowling Green after this one.

Why Penn State Will Beat West Virginia 

• Penn State has won each of its last 18 games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
• West Virginia has lost each of its last three season openers.
• Penn State has covered the spread in 12 of its last 13 games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.

Penn State vs West Virginia Prediction

West Virginia is going to be a popular upset pick on Saturday but I just don’t see it happening. Penn State knows to reach their goals they need to let Allar do more, and that’s exactly what he’s going to do here. Allar is going to sling it around the field, and the Mountaineers defense will struggle to slow him down. Penn State’s defense is going to take away the run game of West Virginia, and that will be the difference as they are going to get the job done. Back Penn State against the spread. 

Shane Mickle's Pick: Penn State -8