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The Penn State Nittany Lions had a rough year in 2020 and will hope to change that this season. After finishing with one of the worst records in the Big Ten last season at 4-5, the Nittany Lions were still ranked third in the East. They actually come in with pretty good odds to win the conference this year as well. This can be accredited to a great recruiting offseason, landing some of the countries best players.
Penn State will still have an uphill battle if they are going to try and win the Big Ten in 2021. In a conference with Ohio State and Indiana, Penn State comes in as a longshot. Strangely enough, even with their under .500 season in 2020, they have the second-best odds to win the Big Ten. The question now is whether or not they can overtake Ohio State for the number one spot. More importantly, does Penn State have a chance to win the National Championship?
2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Futures Betting Odds
Penn State Nittany Lions National Championship Odds: +4000
Penn State Nittany Lions Conference Championship Odds: +800
Penn State Nittany Lions Win Total Odds: Over 9 (+100) Under 9 (-125)
It’s strange to see a team that finished so poorly in the previous season come in with such great odds. Aside from the Ohio State Buckeyes, they lead the pack in terms of conference championship odds, even beating out Indiana. Their odds are far from Ohio State’s -200 but the Nittany Lions could prove to be tough competitors in 2021. The question now is how much is different this season than the previous for the Nittany Lions?
Honestly, there were some great recruits grabbed by Penn State in the offseason which helps their odds. Perhaps the best argument could be the Nittany Lions schedule this year, their toughest games being Ohio State and Wisconsin. If they were to lose those two games they’d only have one more loss allocated before losing the totals bet. Although they had a great recruiting year, Penn State lost key players that could help them in 2021.
2021 Penn State Nittany Lions Offseason Grade: B
Key Additions: (QB, Drew Allar), (OT, Drew Shelton), (S, Mehki Flowers), (WR, Kaden Saunders)
Key Departures: (OG, Will Fries), (C, Michael Menet), (DE, Shaka Toney), (LB, Micah Parsons)
The Nittany Lions lost players are the frontlines of both sides of the ball, leaving them at a stark disadvantage. Drew Shelton is a great pick at offensive tackle but after losing Fries and Menet, Penn State is in trouble. For as long as the organization has been around they have been known for running the ball. With two of their best offensive lineman gone, Penn State will need new ways to generate yardage.
Another troublesome note is the loss of Micah Parsons and Shaka Toney. Both of them made huge impacts on defense and leave sizable holes in their absence. In the Big Ten, defense is necessary and Penn State lost its two best defensemen. This leads us to believe the Nittany Lions defense could be easily exploited in 2021. That is unless the coaching staff can create some new pressure packages.
Penn State Nittany Lions Preview 2021
The Nittany Lions will likely have a better season than they did last year but not by much. You can expect this team to just cross the .500 mark, going under the win total. Had they not lost so many players on the offensive and defensive line, it could be another story. Unfortunately in the Big Ten, the frontline is the most important key to a team’s success.
Penn State Nittany Lions Futures Best Bets
Penn State is a few years away from being a true contender in the Big Ten standings. The Ohio State Buckeyes have made sure to keep themselves atop the Big 10 for a while. Even teams like Indiana separated themselves from the group in 2020. The Nittany Lions need more time as a team to propel themselves forward in the Big Ten.
The best bet here is to take the under 9 games win total. They have a tough schedule in front of them with Big Ten opponents. They also lost significant pieces along the frontline of the offense and defense. If you’re looking to make a good bet on the Nittany Lions, take the under on the win total.
