This page may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and sign up, make a deposit, place a wager, or make a trade, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
The SportsLine Projection Model has revealed its best bets for the Friday matchup between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Northwestern Wildcats
Oct 1, 2026 at 11:58 am ET • 2 min read
The Northwestern Wildcats debut their brand-new Ryan Field football stadium on Friday night, when they host the Penn State Nittany Lions in a Friday night college football matchup. First-year Penn State coach Matt Campbell faces his first bounce-back opportunity after his team blew a 17-point lead in a Big Ten opening 24-20 loss to Wisconsin last weekend. Northwestern, with first-year coach Chip Kelly calling plays, opened Big Ten play with a narrow 29-23 defeat at defending national champion Indiana. Productive QBs match up with PSU's Rocco Becht (865 yards, 9 TDs) versus Northwestern's Aidan Chiles (807 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs). Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $25 bonus after $10 in trades:
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill. The Nittany Lions are 3-point road favorites, with the over/under at 45.5 in the latest Penn State vs. Northwestern odds. Before making any Northwestern vs. Penn State picks, check out the Penn State vs. Northwestern predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
Penn State vs. Northwestern odds
Penn State vs. Northwestern spread | Penn State -3 |
Penn State vs. Northwestern over/under | 45.5 points |
Penn State vs. Northwestern money line | Penn State -141, Northwestern +120 |
Penn State vs. Northwestern picks | |
Penn State vs. Northwestern streaming | Fubo (Try for free) |
New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $55 bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55:
Top Northwestern vs. Penn State predictions
After simulating Penn State vs. Northwestern 10,000 times, SportsLine model is going Over 45.5 points at betting apps. The Wildcats have played two games vs. FBS-level competition, and both games went past the total in points. After a pair of Unders, the Over has hit in the last two games for the Nittany Lions.
Northwestern ranks 120th in total defense. While Penn State ranks ninth, it allowed 24 points in its lone game vs. a Power 6 team, and Wisconsin is a bottom-half offense nationally.
SportsLine's model is projecting 52 points in this one, with the Over hitting in a solid 65 percent of the time. See the model's spread and money-line picks at SportsLine.
How to make Penn State vs. Northwestern picks
In addition to going Over on the total, the model also says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Northwestern vs. Penn State, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that's on a 34-25 run on top-rated CFB picks, and find out.
Why you should trust SportsLine's model
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It enters Week 5 on a 32-24 run on all top-rated college football picks at betting sites, returning nearly $600 for $100 players. Anybody following its picks on college football betting sites could have seen strong returns.
