The Penn State Nittany Lions and West Virginia Mountaineers will each be playing their first game of the season on Saturday, August 31st. This game will be played at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown and televised on FOX.

At 12:00 ET on Saturday, August 31st, the Penn State Nittany Lions will be on the road vs. the West Virginia Mountaineers. The game will be played at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown and broadcast on FOX. Penn State is favored by -9.5 points, with the over/under line set at 51.5 points. This is the first game of the season for both teams.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs West Virginia Mountaineers

Penn State Records And Recent Play

West Virginia Records And Recent Play

Penn State Offense Breakdown

Last season, Penn State’s offense was led by quarterback Drew Allar, who threw for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions. The Nittany Lions ranked 16th in the country in scoring, averaging 36.2 points per game. Their success was driven by a balanced attack, with the team averaging 215 passing yards per game (72nd) and 186.4 rushing yards per game, which ranked 32nd in the nation.

Kaytron Allen returns as the top running back for Penn State after rushing for 902 yards last season. The Nittany Lions also added Julian Fleming from Ohio State to bolster their receiving corps, which includes returning receiver Harrison Wallace III. Penn State will look to improve their 3rd down conversion rate of 40.5%, which was 52nd in the country last season.

West Virginia Offense Breakdown

West Virginia’s offense was effective on the ground last season, ranking 7th in rushing yards per attempt and averaging 230.3 rushing yards per game (6th). The Mountaineers were 32nd in the nation in scoring, putting up 31.5 points per game. However, their passing game was less productive, averaging 205.7 yards per game (76th). Quarterback Garrett Greene, who threw for 2406 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for West Virginia.

Jahiem White, who rushed for 842 yards last season, is the top returning running back for the Mountaineers. West Virginia is also looking to Hudson Clement, who had 480 receiving yards last season, and Jaden Bray, a transfer from Oklahoma State, to bolster their receiving corps.

Penn State Team Defense

Opposing quarterbacks had a tough time against Penn State last season, as the Nittany Lions’ defense allowed a passer rating of just 70.1, which was the 15th best mark in the country. Overall, Penn State allowed just 13.5 points per game, ranking 4th in the nation. Their run defense was particularly strong, giving up only 77.7 rushing yards per game, the 5th best figure in college football. In the passing game, they allowed 172.1 yards per game (23rd).

Penn State Team Defense

West Virginia’s defense allowed 26.2 points per game last season, ranking them 57th in the nation. They struggled against the pass, giving up 236.8 passing yards per game, which was 117th in college football. On the ground, the Mountaineers ranked 70th, allowing 145.2 rushing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks completed 61.3% of their passes and had a passer rating of 92.9.

Penn State vs West Virginia Trends

• Across their last three road contests, Penn State has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 35 points per game.
• Although West Virginia has a straight up record of 2-1 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs. the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 31 points per game in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the West Virginia Mountaineers have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. West Virginia posted a straight up mark of 5-5 in these matchups.
• As the betting favorite, the Penn State Nittany Lions have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 2-1.

Nittany Lions vs Mountaineers Prediction

Penn State is favored by -9.5 points in their week one matchup against West Virginia, and we expect them to win by a score of 31-23. However, with the spread at +9.5 points for West Virginia, we like their chances to cover as the underdog.

The over/under line is set at 51.5 points, and our projection of 54 points suggests taking the over as the best bet for this game.

---

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

---

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.