JD PicKell expects over 9.5 wins for Penn State in 2023

On a recent episode of The Hard Count, On3’s JD PicKell went over the current win projections for the Big Ten. Outside of Ohio State and Michigan, there is one other program that has the potential to top the conference and finish the season with double-digit wins, Penn State. The current betting odds for the Nittany Lions sit at 9.5 wins for next season. And PicKell believes that if that is the line, go ahead and bend the over as he expects Penn State to win over 9.5 in 2023.

“A lot of y’all were very high on Penn State, the over. Now, they can drop two. Sneaky game early against West Virginia,” said PicKell. “They open with West Virginia at home, a Power 5 team. They have to go to Maryland late in November.

“Really, is anybody, besides Ohio State or Michigan, a better roster than Penn State? Is anybody showing up and saying, look, our guys versus your guys, we like it? The way that I’m handling this, the way that I’m processing this, is if Penn State does what they’re supposed to do — Nick Singleton, Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen — if those guys take care of business, even if they drop both to Michigan and Ohio State, even if that happens, you still hit the over. So go ahead and lock it in.”

Penn State will get the ball rolling right out of the gate with a match-up against another Power 5 team in West Virginia to open up their season on Saturday, Sept 9. The Nittany Lions should get tested by the high-flying offense the Mountaineers are expected to have in 2023. Still, Penn State has one of the best collections of talent in the country. And that, along with head coach James Franklin should be more than enough for them to exceed the 9.5 expected win mark.

“You know what we say around here: safe game, safe prizes,” he continued. “I’m buying stock in James Franklin. I’m buying stock in Drew Allar. We’re taking Penn State over 9.5 wins and feeling pretty good about doing it. I honestly think they could split Ohio State, Michigan, to be real with you. You’re telling me I get one more loss somewhere on the schedule? (It) just feels like theft.”

With both Ohio State and Michigan expected to move things around next season, Penn State is in the right position to challenge for the Big Ten crown. And that would mean that the college football experts’ preseason prediction will be right on the nose.