Penn State vs. Nebraska: Big 10 Bout Turns into Most Popular Game in Vegas

This just in: Penn State has a football game this Saturday.

It’s impossible to try and ignore the Jerry Sandusky scandal, but there is still a game to be played and gamblers are trying to take full advantage.

According to BetOnline brand manager Dave Mason, there has been more money bet on Nebraska-Penn State than any other game on this weekend’s slate. Even more than Stanford-Oregon, the second best game of the entire year. He claims that over 90 percent of the money is coming in on Nebraska.

The line opened with the Cornhuskers being favored by three and now the spread has shifted to 3.5. Vegas oddsmakers claim they are still getting more bets on the Pac 12 showdown.

People are assuming there is no way the Nittany Lion players can concentrate on a game against one of the best teams they’ll face all season. No. 19 Nebraska is coming off a shocking loss to Northwestern at home and is not taking Penn State lightly.

Yet Johnny Avello, sportsbook director at the Las Vegas Wynn, believes it’s a grave mistake to overlook No. 12 Penn State:

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He’s like the King of England, where you really don’t control the government. You’re just there. He’s missed some games, hasn’t been on the sideline a lot. I just don’t think he was calling the shots on this team anymore. And as long as all the players are intact, to me, very little changes about this game. If anything, you might look at Penn State to play an emotional game.

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The emotions are going to be incredible around College Station on Saturday, and defensive coordinator Tom Bradley is now the interim head coach in charge of righting this sunken ship. He arguably was already calling a lot of the shots for Penn State.

Is that enough to keep the Nittany Lions within three points?

Who knows? But I think it’s safe to say that the entire world is going to have their eyes on the Penn State-Nebraska game this weekend.

However it will end, I think Jimmy Vaccaro, a bookmaker at Lucky’s Race and Sports Book in Vegas puts it best:

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I don’t think anyone would be surprised if it was 17-0 in the second quarter. And that could be 17-0 either way.

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