ESPN analytics predict Penn State's chance of winning vs. Michigan State
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
For all of the struggles of the Penn State football program since the middle of September, the outlook for the Nittany Lions is actually looking promising this weekend. As Penn State heads to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on the Michigan State Spartans, they will do so with the odds and projections falling heavily in their favor. That may just demonstrate how rough things are going for the Spartans than be a suggestion that Penn State is turning a corner in time to save its season.
According to the latest matchup prediction from ESPN’s analytics, Penn State has a 79.2% chance of winning this week’s game against Michigan State. Penn State is also favored by a touchdown according to a number of sportsbooks midway through the week.
Penn State and Micigan State are each coming into this week with identical 3-6 records, and each are 0-6 in Big Ten play this season. The stakes for this week’s game, aside from possession of the Land-Grant Trophy, er staying alive for bowl eligibility. Whichever team loses this weekend will suffer its seventh loss of the year, thus preventing it from reaching the six-win minimum to qualify for postseason play (unless any exemptions are granted to fill any open bowl spots). Both teams will need to win their final three games of the season in order to become bowl-eligible.
Penn State has won each of the last two matchups in this series with wins in 2023 and 2022. Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State is 6-7 in games played in Spartan Stadium and 7-7 overall in road games in the series. The 2023 game was a home game for Michigan State but was played in Ford Field in Detroit after the Spartans agreed to move their home game to the NFL stadium at the end of the season. Penn State won that game by a 42-0 score.
Penn State and Michigan State will play this Saturday, Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: ESPN’s matchup prediction for Penn State vs. Michigan State football
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos