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What's the Penn State-Nevada over/under? Lions' first betting total of 2025 is in

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•05/28/25•

GregPickel

penn-state-nittany-lion-mascot-on3
Penn State Nittany Lion mascot. (Photo: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

Penn State football will be a prohibitive favorite when it opens the 2025 season against Nevada on Aug. 30 at Beaver Stadium. That much we knew already, as DraftKings installed the Lions as a seven-touchdown favorite last week. Now, thanks to a new offering at FanDuel, we can make a score projection using the listed point spread and total. The outlet makes head coach James Franklin’s team a 45.5-point favorite with an over/under total of 59.5 points. That suggests, roughly, a 52-7 win for the home side in what will be Franklin’s 12th season opener in State College.

The Nittany Lions and Wolfpack will be meeting for the first time when the game takes place to start both teams’ seasons. A kick-off time for the contest is expected to be announced on Thursday.

A closer look at Penn State-Nevada

While expectations are sky-high for Penn State, they are almost exactly the opposite for second-year coach Jeff Choate’s Wolfpack. They have the second-worst odds to win the Mountain West Conference and FanDuel lists their win total over-under at just 3.5. Choate’s team is coming off a 3-10 season and has just four returning starters, according to Nevada Sports Net. Well-traveled former four-star recruit Chubby Purdy does take over at quarterback. But, it should go without saying that first-year offensive coordinator David Gilbertson’s attack will have its work cut out for it to find the end zone against Jim Knowles’ defense.

“Nevada is coming off back-to-back-to-back 10-loss seasons, the Wolf Pack’s worst stretch since joining the FBS in 1992,” Chris Murray writes for NSN. “Last year showed on-field improvements but a lack of discipline and late-game execution led to a 2-6 record in one-possession game. With only four returning starters, outside expectations are still relatively muted. But the Wolf Pack expects to take a jump to a bowl game in Choate’s second season in charge. That’d marked the first postseason appearance since 2021.”

The same outlet reported in 2022 that Penn State was expected to pay the Wolfpack $1.45 million to come to Beaver Stadium for its 2025 opener. It’s not currently clear if that number is still accurate, as neither side has disclosed the financial agreement that led to the game.

Kickoff between Penn State and Nevada is now just 94 days away.

“The offseason is great. Spring camp is great. But the culmination of your summer training is real football,” Choate said, per NSN. “That’s where you really have to make it happen. (Strength) coach (Jason) Loscalzo’s got his job in front of him. We’re taking the whistle off. He’s putting it on. And those guys have to grind in the weight room spending time together getting to know each other.”

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