Two heavyweights of college football will go at it right out of the gate this coming Saturday, as No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions take on No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers. Check out our preview of this game along with our predictions below.
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Betting Preview for the Penn State Nittany Lions vs Wisconsin Badgers NCAA Week 1 College Football Game on September 4, 2021
Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison
When: Saturday, September 4, 2021, 6:00 PM ET
Line: Penn State Nittany Lions (+5) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (-5) – view all 2020 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Penn State Nittany Lions (+5)
Record: 0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference
This season will be about redemption for the Nittany Lions who missed playing in a bowl game in 2020 for the first time since 2013. A big reason why was their stumble right out of the gate. Penn State lost its first five games of that season but won the last four. The momentum the Nittany Lions generated with that late-season upswing could be carried by the team into this matchup against Wisconsin. Penn State has redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford back under center, but it’s the ground attack that has the team feeling excited about the potential of the offense. With Baylor transfer John Lovett added to a group that averaged 174.3 rushing yards per game in 2020 — 54th nationally — there’s a lot to like about Penn State.
Penn State is 4-0 against the spread in its last four games overall.
Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers (-5)
Record: 0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference
Playing against Wisconsin in Madison is always tough for visiting teams. Since 2018, the Badgers are 8-2 straight-up in 10 games as the home team to go with a 5-5 record against the spread in those contests. As for this matchup, the Badgers are 4-3 straight-up and also 4-3 as well against the spread in their last seven games as the home team versus Penn State, dating back to 1998. Quarterback Graham Mertz went up and down in 2020, in large part because of COVID-19’s impact on the schedule. But with more stability and clarity on that front in the college football landscape, Mertz can be expected to maximize his talent and those around him more this time around. The Badgers’ defense, meanwhile, should remain a sturdy bunch. Last season, Wisconsin was ninth in the nation with 17.4 points allowed per game.
The under is 4-1 in Wisconsin’s last five games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
Wisconsin wins, 24-19.
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