Penn State football opens as underdog against Iowa

For the second time this season, Penn State opens as an underdog.

In a titanic clash that could determine the fate of their season, the Nittany Lions open as 2.5-point road underdogs against fellow unbeaten Iowa in Iowa City, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

The only other time the Nittany Lions haven't been favored this season was on the road at Wisconsin to begin the year.

Penn State now has five wins under its belt in this 2021 campaign, coming off a shutout win over Indiana

Before that, Penn State went on the road to claim a win over a ranked Wisconsin team. The Nittany Lions followed that up by coasting to victory against the defending MAC champions Ball State, 44-13.

With SEC competition in town for the annual White Out game, Penn State dispatched another ranked foe in Auburn, 28-20, in week three.

A week four game against Villanova marked the first time this season that the Nittany Lions did not cover the spread, which was listed at 29.5 points. The Nittany Lions bounced back to comfortably cover against the Hoosiers.

Previously, Penn State won as an underdog against the Badgers, covered the 22.5-point margin against Ball State and covered the 6.5-point spread against the Tigers.

The unbeaten Hawkeyes are also 4-1 against the spread this season, having blown out Maryland as a 3-point road favorite last week.

Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. on FOX.

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