Penn State at Purdue Prediction For Week 1

Odds, best bets and analysis for this college football matchup

Penn State Nittany Lions

One thing we can expect about this game is that Penn State will be able to dominate the Purdue run game. To be honest, Purdue may not run the ball at all in this game, and they wouldn't be getting much done if they did. They will be throwing right away, but Penn State's secondary should be able to hold the line. They have a few stars in corner Joey Porter and safety Ji’Ayir Brown, and Kalen King is starting to come along on the other side of Porter. If the defensive line can start generating a pass rush on top of stopping the run, they should be able to slow Purdue through the air, which will be their entire game plan.

QB Sean Clifford should find it a pretty smooth ride all day against a shaky secondary of the Boilermakers. He'll have star WRs Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith to throw to, and they should be able to make some big plays down the field in the passing game. My biggest concern is how the offensive line will hold up against a very good defensive front of Purdue.

Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers have a very good defensive line that may give Penn State's offensive line fits all day long. The Nittany Lions aren't exactly terrible up front, and some new additions via the transfer portal should help them out. Still, this was an offensive line that struggled to get anything going with run-blocking in 2021, and their protection wasn't that impressive either. They were very average, at best. If Penn State can't control the clock and keep the Purdue offense off the field, that could be a serious problem for them. The Nittany Lions don't want a shootout here.

While the Purdue secondary isn't great, they have a few players that can make plays. They have experience and potential, but they have yet to put the two together, so we'll see if they can finally do that. If not, the talent on Penn State should shine through. The Boilermakers are going to have to win this game with their offense, which they are certainly capable of doing if the defense can make a few third-down stops and take the ball away.

Penn State at Purdue Prediction

Penn State is just the better football team as a whole, and they have a far better defense that should be able to at least limit the high-powered Purdue attack. A big question remains for the Boilermakers: Is the offense going to be able to keep up the momentum from the second half of last season when it ripped through everyone in its path? QB Aidan O’Connell is still there, but it always seemed like they started fading late in games.

I think Penn State can pull this one out, even if it's a late victory. They have the talent to make that one extra play that is needed to grab a win. I'll take Penn State -3.5.

MORE: SEE THURSDAY'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING PLAYBOOK

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