The Penn State Nittany Lions end their regular season at home against the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, looking to book themselves a potential home playoff game.
The fourth-ranked team is a solid favorite to beat the Terrapins but needs to take care of business in the final regular-season game before looking ahead to the postseason. Will it all be that easy for the Nittany Lions? We have the latest odds and picks with a Maryland vs. Penn State prediction.
Maryland vs. Penn State Betting Preview
All Maryland vs. Penn State odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.
- CFN FPM Spread
Penn State -23.5 - Spread
Penn State -25 - Moneyline
Maryland +1300, Penn State -2800 - Over/Under
50.5 - Game time
Saturday, Nov. 30 | 3:30 p.m. ET - Location
Beaver Stadium | University Park, PA - Predicted Weather at Kick
28 degrees, mostly cloudy, 12 mph winds - How to Watch
BTN
Penn State is a huge favorite to defeat Maryland at home in Week 14. That shouldn’t be a shock given that the Nittany Lions have a 10-1 record, are ranked fourth by the College Football Playoff committee, and are playing at home. That is reflected in the moneyline, with Maryland +1300 to win in Beaver Stadium.
The last three meetings have been won by PSU, who have scored 30+ points while conceding 15 or less in those matchups. In fact, the Nittany Lions have a 43-3-1 record over the Terps in the all-time series, with Maryland last winning in 2020 when they went on the road to State College winning 35-19.
A repeat of those heroics by Mike Locksley’s team is hard to envision after conceding 29+ points in their last seven games. Furthermore, Maryland has conceded 27, 42, 48, and 39 points, respectively, in its last four road games.
Maryland’s Winning Probability
This game is going to be tough for the Terps. After losing four games in a row, they now run into a Nittany Lions team ranked fourth in the country. Unsurprisingly, the College Football Playoff Meter gives Maryland a lowly 4.7% chance of winning at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
- at Penn State: 4.7%
Penn State’s Winning Probability
Penn State is a heavy favorite to defeat Maryland at home in the season finale. The CFN FPM gives the Nittany Lions a 95.3% chance of victory and ending the season 11-1.
- vs. Maryland: 95.3%
Prediction for Maryland vs. Penn State
Penn State is rightly favored to win on Saturday. The Terrapins are officially eliminated from Bowl contention with a 4-7 record, and they head to College Park with MJ Morris predicted to be the starting quarterback, with Billy Edwards Jr. questionable to play with a hand injury.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions have one of the top tight ends in the nation, Tyler Warren, who will break the Big Ten single-season TE reception record with one catch in Week 14. Yet, another record to add to the Penn State star tight end’s résumé.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season With CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
James Franklin’s team will look to close the season out emphatically with Drew Allar under center on Senior Day and solidify themselves as one of the top seeds in the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions will control the clock by running the ball, while Maryland must throw deep often to make this a 60-minute game.
The best Maryland can hope for is that this is a potential look-ahead game for Penn State.
The Nittany Lions look playoff-bound, with sites set on tougher opposition than the Terrapins. Just last week, Penn State experienced a scare against Minnesota, escaping 26-25. However, the Golden Gophers defeated Maryland 48-23 in October and are a better overall outfit. Add in that this game will be played in University Park, and the scoreboard could quickly escape Locksley’s side.
Prediction: Penn State 42, Maryland 10
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