2019 Penn State Nittany Lions College Football Odds and Expert Betting Picks

2018 Record: 9-4

2019 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 8.5

2019 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Under'

James Franklin is an excellent coach. He's one of the best in the country. And he just keeps the Penn State machine humming.

The Nittany Lions have gone 31-9 straight up and 26-14 against the spread over the course of the past three seasons. Those numbers are better than Big Ten rivals like Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin and also far better than more highly-touted national programs like Texas, USC and Florida.

The Big Ten is stacked this year, though. And for the second straight season, the Nittany Lions will have to replace one of the best players in school history. Last season they had to make due without Saquon Barkley. This season they will have to fill the void left by Trace McSorley, their record-setting three-year starting quarterback.

Penn State had five starters leave early for the NFL Draft and 11 guys transfer, including McSorley's likely replacement, Tommy Stevens. The Nittany Lions have only 11 returning starters and just one senior set to start on offense. As many as eight of this year's offensive starters could be freshmen or sophomores.

Penn State's defense is perpetually underrated and is coming off another season ranked in the Top 25. Junior defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons are future NFL players.

Unlike Ohio State and Michigan, Penn State actually has an easy schedule. They avoid Nebraska and Wisconsin out of the West, they have no significant nonconference games, open with four of their first five games at home, and they get Michigan in Happy Valley.

The Nittany Lions do have to take on Michigan State and Ohio State on the road. Trips to Iowa and Minnesota won't be pushovers this year either.

The schedule is set up for another big season for the Nittany Lions. However, I am going to play this one 'under'. I don't think they will win any of the three games against the other top teams in the East. And I can also see them taking an upset somewhere.

This is not a bet that I, personally, am looking to make. I think this is a great number, and Penn State will be straddling that line around eight or nine wins. I'll err on the side of Penn State's youth - relative to the other three top teams in the East - and I know this is a team I wouldn't want to face in a bowl game this December.

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