The Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. EST on BTN.
Penn State is favored by 13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -600. The total is set at 55.5 points.
Here’s my Penn State vs. Rutgers prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 29, 2025.
Penn State vs Rutgers Prediction
- Penn State vs. Rutgers Pick: Penn State -13.5
My Rutgers vs. Penn State best bet is on the Nittany Lions to cover. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Penn State vs Rutgers Odds
| Penn State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -112 | 55.5 -112o / -108u | -600 |
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -108 | 55.5 -112o / -108u | +440 |
- Penn State vs Rutgers point spread: Penn State -13.5 (-112), Rutgers +13.5 (-108)
- Penn State vs Rutgers over/under: 55.5 (-112o / -108u)
- Penn State vs Rutgers moneyline: Penn State -600, Rutgers +440
Penn State vs Rutgers Preview
Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview: Pushing For Strong Finish
Penn State's 2025 season has not gone according to plan.
It was not only among the favorites to reach the College Football Playoff, but also to win its first National Championship in 40 years.
The Nittany Lions got off to a rocky start, beginning the year 3-6 with head coach James Franklin being dismissed after a loss to Northwestern.
However, they still deserve credit for their strong finish to the regular season.
First, Penn State was in an unfamiliar position as a heavy home underdog against Indiana. However, it arguably gave Indiana its toughest test of the season as Fernando Mendoza and Omar Cooper Jr. needed to connect on an improbable lead touchdown grab to help the Hoosiers escape 27-24.
Since then, Penn State has handled Michigan State and Nebraska convincingly, outscoring them 65-20 over its last two games.
Senior running back Kaytron Allen has led the way as he has 25 carries, 150-plus rushing yards, and two touchdowns in each of his past two games. Last week, he went over 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career, and he needs just 46 yards to reach 4,000 for his career.
While he has been the bellcow, Nicholas Singleton has scored a touchdown in three of his last four games, reaching the end zone five times. Singleton has had 10-plus total touchdowns in each of his four seasons in Happy Valley and enters this week with 52 for his career.
The tandem has helped redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkmeyer settle in and manage the game. In Penn State's last two victories, he has thrown just 25 passes, but he has been efficient. He is completing 67% of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions in eight games (five starts) this season.
Penn State has been methodical, ranking 26th nationally in Success Rate but 113th in Explosiveness.
The defense is doing a good job of limiting big plays, ranking 22nd in Explosiveness allowed.
Penn State's defense is a pretty good indicator of how successful it will be that week. In its five wins, Penn State has allowed 11 points or less in all five games, but it also has given up 22 points or more in all six defeats.
The Nittany Lions rank 25th nationally in total defense and 28th in scoring defense.
I would expect a spirited defensive effort as the Nittany Lions go for bowl eligibility this week.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Betting Preview: Rutgers Aiming For Bowl Eligibility
Rutgers will also be fighting for bowl eligibility after it lost 42-9 to No. 1 Ohio State last week. It did cover the initial line of +33.5, but closed around +28.5 as the Scarlet Knights fell to 5-6 against the spread and 2-5 ATS as an underdog this season.
Rutgers could not get much going last week, mustering just 147 yards of total offense.
However, the offense has been potent at times this season.
Rutgers has scored at least 27 points in seven games, and it is 5-2 in those games. It is averaging 28 points and 395 yards of total offense per game, with much of its attack coming through the air.
Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis ranks 19th among FBS passers with 2,786 passing yards to go along with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is looking to become the third quarterback in school history to throw for 3,000 yards.
He has a decided edge in experience over Grunkmeyer, but he will also be looking for a better experience against the Nittany Lions. As a freshman at Minnesota, Kaliakmanis went 9-for-22 for 175 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the Golden Gophers fell 45-17 in a White Out.
He has three wide receivers, K.J. Duff, Ian Strong, and DT Sheffield, with over 40 receptions and 500 receiving yards this season.
Duff leads the way with 55 receptions for 957 yards and six touchdowns. With his big play potential, the sophomore may only need two receptions for his first 1,000-yard season.
Sophomore Antwan Raymond adds balance in the run game as he has 1,052 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry. He surpassed 200 carries last week, and he has proven he can handle a heavy workload, most notably against Maryland when he had 41 carries for 240 yards. He has scored a touchdown in nine of 11 games this season.
With Rutgers' offensive production, offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca has been selected as a semifinalist for the Broyles Award. It has also been necessary, as the team has failed to get many stops defensively.
Rutgers has allowed 30 points in seven of 11 games this season, giving up 31.1 per game. It ranks 116th nationally in scoring defense, 119th in total defense, 116th in Explosiveness allowed, 128th in Success Rate allowed, and tied 123rd in Havoc.
It may struggle to deal with Allen and Singleton, as it is the only team in the FBS giving up over six yards per carry.
Penn State vs Rutgers Pick, Betting Analysis
While Greg Schiano's program is improving, Rutgers has not been up to the task when it has faced tougher competition on its schedule.
In losses to Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Ohio State, Rutgers lost all four games by an average of 30 points. It also lost to Iowa by 10 as a two-point underdog.
Penn State is still in that aforementioned group despite having the same record as Rutgers.
Per 247Sports, Penn State still has the 10th-most talented roster in the country. All of that talent has shown of late as the Nittany Lions have covered four of their last four games and hung with Ohio State for a half as well.
The players are fighting for interim head coach Terry Smith as he makes his case to have the interim tag removed.
I like his chances of acing his final regular-season audition comfortably.
Under two touchdowns, I have to back the Nittany Lions on the road. Eight of their last 10 victories against Rutgers have been by at least 14 points (with one by 13), with Rutgers failing to surpass 10 points in any of those games.
Pick: Penn State -13.5
