Docs Website

54 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

2026 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Predictions with Betting Odds and Best Bets

by Ryan Cobbett - 8/17/2026

Penn State Nittany Lions football predictions Rocco Becht

After playoff hopes came and went like a never-ending cycle in the James Franklin era, the Penn State football program finally had enough, and they moved on from their coach. After a dreadful start to the season last year, the Nittany Lions had to bounce back late in order to move to a .500 record. Now, the team is looking to nearly double their win total from a season ago under the new Matt Campbell regime. Campbell brought in a slew of transfers from Iowa State, and he was aggressive in the portal in order to round out his roster. He brought in 39 transfers, but he has a lot of key pieces that are used to his offensive schemes. The Nittany Lions lucked out with an incredibly easy schedule, so it comes down to whether or not Campbell, Becht, and company can repeat their success at the Big 10 level.

Doc’s Sports offers college football expert picks for every game on our college football predictions page.

Penn State Nittany Lions Summary of Last Season

Last season was one to forget for Penn State. They had to move on from Franklin, and they failed to do anything significant. After being rated as a top team heading into the season, the Nittany Lions lived up to expectations through the first three weeks of the season after posting a 3-0 record. Unfortunately, their season quickly changed after their Bye Week. They would go on to lose six straight games, though five of them were one possession games. They ended their six-game losing streak with a three-game winning streak to reach a bowl game with a 6-6 record. Penn State would dominate Clemson in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, and they somehow managed to finish the dreadful season with a winning record.

The Penn State offense ranked in the middle of the conference, averaging 362 YPG. They managed 31.2 PPG despite the quarterback issues for much of the season. Ethan Grunkemeyer led the team with 1,339 passing yards after coming in for Drew Allar. Grunkemeyer added eight passing touchdowns and one on the ground. Allar, who had his season cut short thanks to an ankle injury, passed for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, and he also added one rushing touchdown. Kaytron Allen led the ground game with 1,303 rushing yards and he added 15 rushing touchdowns. Nic Singleton finished second on the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and 549 rushing yards. Trebor Pena led the team with 552 receiving yards, and he recorded two receiving touchdowns. Devonte Ross led the Nittany Lions with five receiving touchdowns, and he finished second with 501 receiving yards.

The Nittany Lions defense was decent last season, but not as strong as in recent years. They held opponents to 326.8 YPG, and opponents averaged just 20.5 PPG. Amare Campbell led the team with 103 tackles, and he also added one pass deflection, three sacks, and one scoop n’ score. Zakee Wheatley finished the season with 74 tackles and also added a pass deflection and interception. Dani Dennis-Sutton led the team with 8.5 sacks while forcing a team best three fumbles. Daryus Dixon led the defense with six pass deflections, and he also forced two fumbles out of the cornerback position.

Penn State Nittany Lions Football Key Additions/Losses

Penn State ranks 67th in returning production with a mere 52% mark. They lost eight players to the NFL Draft. Offensive lineman Vega Ioane was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens. Allar was taken in the third round, and he was followed by offensive tackle Drew Shelton, and Dennis-Sutton in the fourth round. Wheatley (fifth round), Singleton (fifth round), defensive lineman Zane Durant (fifth round), and Allen (sixth round) rounded out the draft class. The Nittany Lions also lost edge rusher Chaz Coleman, defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam (Tennessee), Grunkemeyer (Virginia Tech), tight end Luke Reynolds (Virginia Tech), edge rusher Zuriah Fisher (USC), cornerback A.J. Harris (Indiana), Campbell (Tennessee), and tight end Andrew Olesh (Oregon) via the transfer portal.

The Nittany Lions brought in a new coaching regime in order to build the program back to relevancy, and it worked as they find themselves inside the Top 25 despite a 7-6 season. Campbell brought in tight end Ben Brahmer, quarterback Rocco Becht, linebacker Caleb Bacon, wide receiver Chase Sowell, safety Marcus Neal Jr., cornerback Jeremiah Cooper, running back Carson Hansen, safety Jamison Patton, tight end Gabe Burkle, and wide receiver Brett Eskildsen from Iowa State. They also added running back James Peoples from Ohio State.

2026 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Schedule Breakdown

The Nittany Lions greatly benefit from their schedule this season. They open the season with a three-game stretch against the likes of Marshall, Temple, and Buffalo. Then add Wisconsin and Northwestern next, and it becomes likely that Penn State is 5-0 by the middle of October. That’s where they get their first test. They take on USC at home and then travel to Michigan. Taking one of those games would be huge for their playoff aspirations. After that tough two game stretch, they have a bye week before finishing the season with Purdue, at Washington, Minnesota, Rutgers, and at Maryland. It is not that unlikely that the Nittany Lions will turn in an 11-1 regular season in their first year under Campbell, the schedule is that easy.

2026 Penn State Nittany Lions X-Factors/Big Questions

Can the Iowa State Transfer Cluster Get it Done?

After reviewing the schedule, it doesn’t look like a playoff birth is impossible. They added 39 transfers in total this season, with a big core coming from Iowa State with Campbell. Becht, Hansen, Eskildsen, and Sowell will likely settle into big contributing roles in the Penn State offense. On defense, Neal Jr., Patton, and Bacon will anchor the defense. They do bring a lot of experience and success, but they have not had the Big 10 experience. The schedule helps a lot, but they have to show the country that they have enough talent to perform in the Big 10, and potentially in the playoffs.

Can the Nittany Lions Win the Big Ones?

Once again, thanks to their schedule, the Nittany Lions may have the easiest path to the playoffs of any team in the Big 10 or SEC. They have three big games during the regular season, at Michigan, at Washington, and home against USC. If Campbell can win two of the three, Penn State will likely find themselves in the Big 10 Championship game, and likely in the playoffs. However, losing all three will eliminate them from the playoffs, and losing two could severely hinder their chances of reaching the Big 10 Championship, and would make a conference championship birth a must win game in order to reach the playoffs. If they win the easy ones, their season comes down to those three games.

2026 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Notable Odds:

National Championship: +10000

Big 10 Champion: +2200

Heisman Winner- Rocco Becht: +6500

Predicted Win Total: 9.5 Games

2026 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Predictions:

I like the Nittany Lions this season. It is reasonable to think there will be growing pains with 39 new transfers, but Campbell has a lot of experience at key positions, and they are players who were with him with the Cyclones. The growing pain may not be as bad as one would think, and they have an easy five week stretch to iron things out before USC and Michigan. With their three tough games, I do not seem them losing all three. I do not think they will go 1-2 either but even losing two would result in the over on the win total. Take the over at +118 and expect Penn State to be in the playoff conversation with legitimate chances this season. Their schedule is too easy to worry about a trap game, their success will truly come down to their three games against USC, Michigan, and Washington.

Prediction: Over 9.5 Wins, +118

Get college football picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent College Football Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers