The No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions are soft 7.5-point favorites vs. the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium in Week 1. Drew Allar returns alongside explosive rushing duo, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, looking to execute double-digit wins for the third-straight season, crossing fingers it's enough to earn them a College Football Playoff spot this time around. 

Covering 69.2% (9-4 ATS) of spreads last year and dousing West Virginia in last season's Week 1 opener, backing Penn State at this price has been my easiest decision all week. 

Penn State vs West Virginia Odds

Odds as of August 27

penn state vs west virginia Picks – Week 1

Kicking off the year going 6-0 ATS, including four favored lines of 21-points or more, the Nittany Lions held one of the best spread records of last season. We don't have to think back too hard about the last outing between these two, also held in Week 1 when Penn State trounced West Virginia, 38-15. 

New Penn State offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnecki, has plenty of toys to play with. Again, Singleton and Allen will gain ground over the Mountaineers, who allowed 155.9 rushing yards per game (ranked 66th) just last season. There's room for improvement for Allar, whose 25-2 TD:INT ratio was steady but his 59 completion percentage could use some work. But, don't forget, the senior was a five star recruit — he just needs to tap into it. 

Not much of the roster has changed for West Virginia either, but based on last season's results against Penn State, is that really a good thing? Dropping from 9-point favorites down to 7.5-points, I'm snagging this spread at its lowest. 

Penn State vs West Virginia Week 1 Pick: Penn State -7.5 (-118)

penn state vs west virginia prop Pick: drew allar OVER 211+ passing Yards (-120)

Completing 72.4% of tosses, eclipsing 325 yards and etching a trio of touchdowns on the scoresheet, Allar's top performance was in his season debut against West Virginia last year. 

While we only witnessed the Ohio-native hit this OVER five times in 2023, with an inclusive 12-team CFP format, there's a lot more to play for if you're Allar and the Nittany Lions. The Mountaineers gave up 237.3 yards in the air and that should be enough room for Allar to hit this mark. 

With Singleton and Allen obvious choices, I expect a mix of passing and rushing playmaking as Kotelnecki gets comfortable with his offense in a gametime setting. 

penn state vs west virginia Betting Trends