Penn State finally got a chance to celebrate a win for the first time since mid-September this past weekend. Penn State handed interim head coach Terry Smith his first career win with a strong defensive showing on the road against Michigan State, with the running game helping to pull away for the win on the road. Now, Penn State’s bowl chances look a little more optimistic heading into the final two games of the regular season.
Penn State will play its final home game of the season this weekend when it welcomes Matt Rhule and Nebraska to Beaver Stadium. Both teams are working through season-ending injuries to their starting quarterbacks, and that may be more of a reason why Penn State is being given some favorable odds for this week’s matchup against the Cornhuskers. According to ESPN’s updated matchup predictor, Penn State has a 70.2% chance of winning this week.
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Penn State opened as a 10-point favorite for this week’s game according to BetMGM. It is the first time Penn State has been a double-digit favorite since the back-to-back losses to UCLA and Northwestern that ultimately cost James Franklin his job as head coach. The stakes are high for Penn State this week with bowl eligibility officially on the line.
Penn State must win its final two games against Nebraska and Rutgers in order to clinch postseason eligibility. While this may be a far lower bar to clear than was anticipated this season, it may still be enough of a rallying cry for this program in its current state.
Penn State hosts Nebraska on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. on NBC.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State gets favorable outlook vs. Nebraska from updated analytics
