The Marshall Thundering Herd and No. 17 Penn State Nittany Lions clash Saturday at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1). Let's analyze college football odds around the Marshall vs. Penn State odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.
According to the sportsbooks Marshall, which finished 5-7 last season, is in contention to win the Sun Belt after a 3-5 conference finish in 2025. On the other side, the Nittany Lions are expected to bounce right back from a 7-6 season and 3-6 Big Ten mark to be a top among the top teams in the nation, despite both a roster and coaching overhaul.
Marshall is led by senior Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, a dual-threat QB who threw for
2,047 yards and 17 TDs and rushed for a team-leading 660 yards and another score in 2025. DB Boogie Trotter, who had been previously granted an extra year of eligibility, had that year revoked by a court Saturday, meaning the Thundering Herd will be missing their best defensive player heading into this one.
Penn State is featuring nearly a brand-new roster in this matchup with 62 new players, 40 of whom are transfers, with 24 of those coming from the Iowa State Cyclones alongside new coach Matt Campbell. Standout transfers include QB Rocco Becht, who is one of the best QBs in Iowa State history with 9,274 passing yards and 64 TDs in 42 games; 6-3, 220-pound RB Carson Hanson (1,771 yards, 19 TDs in 38 games), and 6-3 WR Chase Sowell (115 career catches, 1,823 yards, 6 TDs), Alongside those transfers, key players like potential All-American LB Tony Rojas and potential All-American OT Anthony Donkoh also returned to usher in a new era of Penn State football.
The teams are playing for the first time in 96 years. Penn State won the previous 2 meetings in 1930 (65-0) and in 1929 (26-7).
– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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Marshall at Penn State odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10:01 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Marshall +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400) | Penn State -2500 (bet $2,500 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Marshall +24 (-110) | Penn State -24 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 52.5 (O: -102 | U: -118)
Marshall at Penn State picks and predictions
Prediction
Penn State 34, Marshall 17
Moneyline
PASS.
The massive blow of losing Trotter ruined any chances the Thundering Herd had of upsetting the Nittany Lions here, so Penn State will easily win -2500 favorites. However, the Nittany Lions are not worth the risk of backing as such heavy favorites, so bet on the spread or total instead.
Against the spread
LEAN MARSHALL +24 (-112).
The Nittany Lions will have the potential to score at will as they bolster a deep RB room, a deep TE room, the best WR room the team has seen in years, and a gunslinger at QB. However, with so many new pieces and a new head coach, it will likely take some time for things to fully gel offensively. On the other side, the Nittany Lions' elite DB room and LB core will anchor this defense, but the pass rush will be questionable even against a less than elite Thundering Herd offensive line.
It's risky, but with this being such a new and imperfect Penn State team, lean toward the Thundering Herd to cover the spread as 24-point road underdogs here.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 52.5 (-118).
Penn State is the better team, but there is a whole new system being implemented and a lot of new guys learning new things on both sides of the ball, so this likely won't be the cleanest game you've ever seen between a ranked and unranked opponent. Also, Del Rio-Wilson could cause some real problems for Penn State, especially with both starting edge rushers for Penn State being young and unproven compared to what fans have been used to for several years.
This Penn State offense may get into a real rhythm late, but it won't quite be enough for the Over to hit here.
Betting odds calculator
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Marshall Thundering Herd at Penn State Nittany Lions odds, picks and predictions
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