College football picks, predictions, odds

Despite suffering its first loss of the regular season, Penn State still has a good shot at a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP).

The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 6 in the initial rankings released earlier this week. They will look to bounce back from their loss when they host the Washington Huskies on Saturday night.

While the Huskies are coming off an impressive 26-21 home win over USC, they now have to travel across the country to Beaver Stadium to play in one of those traditional white-out games under head coach James Franklin.

Washington still needs to prove it can adapt to the amount of travel it has faced since joining the Big Ten. As a result, the Huskies could be extremely vulnerable in the early stages of away games.

Washington vs. Penn State odds

(8 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Washington betting preview

This season was always going to be a challenge for the Huskies after losing 10 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, including three first-rounders and seven players in the first three rounds.

Washington was loaded with talent as the number of draftees tied a school record set in 1998.

In addition to losing quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Huskies also had to replace three wide receivers (Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan) and two linemen (Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten).

With only five regulars returning to the starting lineup, the betting market was rightly pessimistic about the Huskies' win total, lowering the odds from 7.5 to 6.5.

For all intents and purposes, Washington looks like a team that is lacking experience and struggling to produce comprehensive performances.

It's worth noting that the Huskies have yet to win consecutive games since conference play began.

Their win over USC was a bit misleading considering the Trojans outgained them by 459-375 yards despite throwing three interceptions.

Additionally, the Huskies have also experienced a resurgence in front of their home fans, where they currently have a 19-game winning streak.

That luxury will completely disappear when they play in front of a hostile crowd on Saturday night.

Penn State betting preview

Penn State's loss to the Buckeyes wasn't entirely surprising considering it was their eighth straight loss in the series.

However, the outcome could have been completely different if Penn State had been a little more composed inside the red zone.

Quarterback Drew Allar threw an interception from the Buckeyes' three-yard line late in the first half, and the Nittany Lions suffered a fourth-quarter turnover on downs just one yard from the end zone.

Franklin's decision to hire Andy Kotelnicki as the new coordinator was intended to make the offense more effective.

However, Penn State is averaging fewer points (30.8 vs. 34.0) than in the previous campaign but is less effective in the red zone (66.7% touchdown rate vs. 76.6%).

Still, Franklin and the Nittany Lions appear poised to turn the tide.

“Of course we still have some things to work on, but the most important thing is that we are on the way to Washington,” Franklin said when meeting the media. “We have to find a way to get a win this week.”

His message to the team was loud and clear as his quarterback appeared to echo his comments.

“We talked about how we can't let one (loss) turn into two or three,” Allar said.

“We have to right the wrong we committed (against Ohio State). Offensively, we won’t point fingers. It’s not one person who ruined the game for us.”

For Penn State, it was all about execution, and with so much on the line, I would expect them to work out those mistakes in a full week of practice.

Betting on college football?

Choice between Washington and Penn State

Since the Huskies are coming off a big win over USC, there's a chance they could suffer a disappointment at this point.

After all, expectations weren't particularly high for Washington considering how much talent it lost in the draft.

This matchup will be about Washington's performance at home and away, where they average 9.3 points less.

In addition, 17 points per game are possible in the first half away from home and 6.3 at home. The slow starts could be due to the long journey and the inexperience in the squad.

According to the Action Network, Washington is 0-4 in the first half, and I like to see that trend continue against a Penn State team that will be desperate to make up for a disappointing loss.

Best Bet: Penn State 1H -7 (-110, Caesars)

Why you should trust New York Post Betting

For the New York Post, Michael Arinze hinders most major sports. He has won two 15-leg teasers and a 12-leg parlay in his betting career, which spanned eight games of the Little League World Series. Most recently, he precisely selected the finalists for the 2024 European Championship and the Copa América.