Penn State Football: Updated Nittany Lions Betting Odds for 2025

Penn State is positioned among the top contenders for the 2026 College Football Playoff title according to major sportsbooks, holding +750 odds at FanDuel. Only Texas (+500), Georgia (+600), and Ohio State (+600) have better national championship odds. Within the Big Ten, FanDuel lists Ohio State (+195) and Penn State (+230) as clear favorites, followed by Oregon (+330) and then Michigan (+1,000).

FanDuel also provides several other key odds for Penn State: making the College Football Playoff (-185), going undefeated in the regular season (+450), winning 10 regular-season games (-320), and winning 11 regular-season games (+105). DraftKings lists Penn State as +125 to go over 10.5 regular-season wins and -150 to go under.

For individual games, Penn State is a heavy 45.5-point favorite over Nevada in the season opener. They are also a 4.5-point favorite against Oregon for the "White Out" game on Sept. 27. For the Oct. 18 trip to Iowa, Penn State is a 10.5-point favorite. However, they are a 3.5-point underdog (FanDuel) or 4.5-point underdog (DraftKings) to Ohio State for their Nov. 1 matchup in Columbus. Penn State is also a 16.5-point favorite over Indiana on Nov. 8.

DraftKings also places Penn State fourth nationally at +750 for the national championship (with Ohio State as the +500 favorite) and lists them as a -300 bet to make the playoffs.

This optimism stems from Penn State's strong roster entering the 2025 season under head coach James Franklin. The offense returns experienced players including quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and five offensive linemen with starting experience. The defense features All-Big Ten and All-America candidates at every level, highlighted by tackle Zane Durant, end Dani Dennis-Sutton, cornerback AJ Harris, and safety Zakee Wheatley.

Analyst Urban Meyer highlighted Penn State's high roster retention from last year's 13-3 team, stating fans should "watch out for Penn State" and placing them among the nation's top three rosters alongside Texas and Ohio State.