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How to watch Penn State-Illinois; pregame info, weather, spread, kick time, more: Gameday Central

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel09/28/24GregPickel
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Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)

Happy game day, Penn State fans! The first Big Ten game for Penn State (3-0) is here. The No. 9 Nittany Lions host No. 19 Illinois today at Beaver Stadium. Head coach James Franklin’s team seeks its first conference win after a perfect non-conference slate. Bret Bielema’s side, meanwhile, aims for its second after knocking off Nebraska in overtime last week.

“We went through a lot of detail of trying to make home and away as similar as possible,” Bielema said this week. “It’s obviously different, but I think the part our guys really relish in is the opportunity to, I think we’re always playing the underdog role. We always say we don’t have one chip on our shoulder, we have two. I think that plays out a little bit.”

Added Franklin on Saturday’s opponent:

“Their win on the road at Nebraska was a really big win for them, so they’re coming in here confident, but they’re also coming in here already going on the road and finding success in a tough environment. Nebraska is a storied program. They take a lot of pride in their stadium and their game day environment as well. So I think that would give Illinois a ton of confidence coming into our place.”

GameDay Central gets you ready for the game below.

Game time, TV channel, how to watch: Penn State football vs. Illinois

Venue: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.

Kick time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Stream: Watch College Football Games Live –Click HERE NOW TO TRY Fubo for FREE!

On the call: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color commentary), and Kathryn Tapper (sideline reporter).

Penn State radio: Steve Jones, Jack Ham, and Brian Tripp will call the Penn State Sports Network radio broadcast on Saturday. It airs on 99.5 & 103.7 FM/1450 AM locally and at GoPSUSports.com online.

Series facts: PSU holds a 21-6 all-time edge in the series. It last lost to the Fighting Illini in nine overtimes back in 2021. It then beat Illinois handily on the road last season.

What is the Penn State-Illinois spread

Penn State opened as a 17.5-point favorite back on Sunday. The line has ticked up to 18 and even 19 at some sports books but has mostly been static throughout the week.

As for the betting total, it sits at 47.5 points.

Blue-White Illustrated predictions

Nate Bauer: Penn State: 44, Illinois: 17
Sean Fitz: PSU: 35, Illinois: 16
Thomas Frank Carr: Penn State: 38, Illinois: 17
Matt Herb: PSU: 28, Illinois: 20
Greg Pickel: Penn State: 41, Illinois: 17
Ryan Snyder: PSU: 34, Illinois: 14

Weather report

Weather.com is going back and forth on whether or not it will rain Saturday in State College and for how long if so. Much of that depends on the track of Hurricane Helene. So, we advise checking for new updates as they become available. Currently, Weather.com has this forecast for daytime: “Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 69F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.” It has this forecast for nighttime: “Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%”

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