Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 11/14/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Penn State Nittany Lions

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026

Location: Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA

TV: FS1

Odds/Point Spread: Nittany Lions (-9.5)

Total/Over-Under: 41

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-4) are hitting the road to Beaver Stadium on Saturday, November 14, 2026 where they will try to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions (5-4). Minnesota opens this matchup as 9.5-point underdogs. The betting total comes in at 41.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers step onto the field holding a record of 5-4 this season. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Golden Gophers faced the UCLA Bruins and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 34-20. In all, they ran 66 plays which gave them 296 yds. The Minnesota Golden Gophers rushed the ball a total of 29 times and recorded 91 yards, which is an average of 3.1 yards per tote. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Golden Gophers conceded 163 yds on 39 attempts, which is an average of 4.2 yds per run surrendered. Minnesota conceded 8 completions on 16 attempts for 303 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%.

The Golden Gophers have attained 2,768 total yards this year. When it comes to distribution of touchdowns, Minnesota has compiled 11 touchdowns via the pass and 10 rushing touchdowns. They have surrendered the football 10 times. Minnesota has 142 first downs as a unit, and they have been flagged for 52 penalties for 472 yds. Offensively they maintain an average of 98.6 yards on the ground giving them a rank of 133rd in college football. Concerning scoring, the Minnesota Golden Gophers hold an average of 24.7 points per game.

The Golden Gophers rank 47th in college football when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 22.0 points per game. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.9 yards per rush and 130.2 rushing yards per game this season. During this campaign, they have given up 1,172 yards on the ground through 9 outings. Concerning yards through the air, the Golden Gophers have given up 1,734 yards which has them ranked 39th in the country. They have relinquished 192.7 yards per outing via the pass and allowed a completion percentage of 56.1%. Over the course of this season, they are conceding 322.9 yards/game which ranks them 31st in Division 1. They have allowed 13 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 10 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Nittany Lions head into this matchup 5-4 for this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Nittany Lions went home victorious with a score of 28-25 against the Washington Huskies. The Nittany Lions finished with 414 yards and they ran 64 plays (6.5 yards per play). Penn State ran the football for 4.7 yards per attempt, finishing with a total of 174 yds on 37 carries. Penn State allowed 25 rushing attempts for 134 yds (5.4 yds per rush). The Nittany Lions secondary gave up a completion rate of 57.6%, surrendering 172 yards on 19 out of 33 passing.

Regarding their scoring prowess, the Nittany Lions rank 66th in college football with 28.9 PPG. The Penn State Nittany Lions are averaging 395.6 yards per outing, which has them ranked 55th in Division 1. The Penn State offense has accrued 414 yards of penalties on 41 infractions, which is good for 129th in Division 1 in terms of hurting your team. They have thrown 5 interceptions while letting opponents recover 2 fumbles and they have recorded 188 1st downs. Over the course of the season thus far, the Nittany Lions currently sit at 2,202 yards through the air as well as an average of 244.7 passing yards per game, which is ranked 43rd in D-1. They are averaging 150.9 run yards per game and have run for 1,358 yards for the year.

Penn State has surrendered a total of 1,373 yards rushing (152.6 yards per game) as well as 11 touchdowns rushing on the campaign. They have yielded 8 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 144.8 yards per outing, which has them sitting 3rd in the country. Over the course of the season, they have surrendered 174 total points. They have 4 fumbles and 10 interceptions over the course of the season. The Nittany Lions defense has participated in 525 plays, which has them ranked 7th in college football. The Nittany Lions are allowing 19.3 points per game, which has them 27th in the country.

Who will win tonight's Golden Gophers/Nittany Lions college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Golden Gophers +9.5

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