The Penn State Nittany Lions will host the Nevada Wolf Pack in Week 1 of the college football season this Saturday. Penn State is ranked second in the country going into the season and is a massive favorite going into this matchup at home. Before these two teams face off in Happy Valley, continue reading to get my breakdown of this game and my Nevada vs Penn State prediction.
Our Nevada vs Penn State Pick
- Pick: Penn State -44.5
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Nevada vs Penn State
- Date & Time: Saturday, August 30, 2025, 3:30 PM ET
- Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
- Broadcast: CBS and Paramount+
Nevada vs Penn State Odds
| Spread | Total |
|---|---|
| Penn State –44.5 | 56.5 |
Key Storylines
- Penn State opens the season at home as the number two team in the nation under James Franklin. They made the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last season and are looking for an even better season this year.
- Nevada is fresh off a 3-10 season and is hoping that offensive newcomers like RB Herschel Turner and WR Marcus Bellon make an impact against one of the best defensive teams in America.
- Penn State is at home in this game and they have been excellent there in recent years. The Nittany Lions went 7-1 at Beaver Stadium in 2024 and they won a College Football Playoff home game against SMU last season.
Quarterback Play
Penn State’s Drew Allar leads a potent offense expected have balance between the run and pass. Allar is being looked at as someone who could be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. But limiting turnovers will be important for him this year if that is going to happen.
The Wolf Pack’s Chubba Purdy has sat on a lot of benches in his college career. He has spent time at Florida State and Nebraska in addition to Nevada. He has attempted a total of 187 passes in five seasons and has quite the challenge on his hands going into this start.
Betting Trends & H2H
This is the first-ever meeting between Nevada and Penn State in college football and Penn State is a huge favorite to get the win.
Nevada vs Penn State Model Projection
Score Projection: Penn State 55 – Nevada 7
Win Probability: Penn State 99%, Nevada 1%
Final Thoughts
To call this matchup a battle between David and Goliath would be an insult to the David in that story. David had more of a chance to defeat Goliath than Nevada has a chance of beating Penn State on Saturday. The physicality of Penn State on both sides of the ball should be too much for the Wolf Pack to handle. I expect the Nittany Lions to move the ball at will and to win this game by at least 45 points to cover the spread at home.
