Indiana
Indiana vs. Penn State prediction: Odds, picks, best bet for Saturday’s Big Ten matchup
Saturday’s tilt between Penn State and Indiana in Happy Valley features the No. 2 team in the country trying to stay undefeated.
That team is a 14.5-point favorite against an underdog doing its best to play the role of spoiler.
If you’re just joining us, you may be surprised to learn that the two-score favorite in this game is actually Indiana, and it’s Penn State, which was ranked No. 2 in the AP’s preseason poll, that is relegated to spoiler.
We’re living in crazy times.
Indiana vs. Penn State odds, prediction
The Indiana Hoosiers are not your typical Cinderella.
This is the second year in a row that Indiana can claim to be one of the best teams in the country, and everything the Hoosiers have accomplished is backed up by a ridiculous statistical profile.
Indiana grades out as the nation’s best offense, per SP+, and ranks eighth in yards per play.
The Hoosiers have a star quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, but they’re far from one-dimensional. In fact, only eight teams run the ball more than Indiana this season. The effectiveness of Indiana’s rushing attack has allowed Mendoza to flourish under Curt Cignetti.
Indiana’s offense is good enough to win games on its own, but it is backed up by one of the stingiest defenses in the country.
According to SP+, only Ohio State has been better without the ball than the Hoosiers.
It’s no wonder that only one team (Iowa) has kept the Hoosiers to a single-digit margin of victory this season.
It’s hard to see Penn State joining that list.
While the Nittany Lions are still talented and should be motivated to win the biggest game left on their schedule at home, things have continued to trend in the wrong direction for Penn State.
Betting on College Football?
The Nittany Lions only mustered 14 points — all of which came in one quarter — against Ohio State, proving that the offense is rudderless without Drew Allar.
The defense grades out as No. 25 in the country per SP+, which is good, but you need to be better than that to slow down Indiana, especially when your offense can’t be relied upon to keep you fresh.
The numbers back up a bet on Indiana in this spot. The Hoosiers have proven, time and again, that they are one of the best teams in the country on both sides of the ball.
If you’re betting on Penn State, you’re just leaning into the narrative that this is their Super Bowl.
Didn’t we just try that angle last week at Ohio State?
The Play: Indiana -14.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Watch as Indiana night sky dazzles with beautiful aurora
Indiana residents were lucky to watch beautiful northern lights in several cities across the state.
The northern lights could return once again to skies over Indiana late Monday night, Dec. 8, nearly a month after colorful auroras dazzled not only the Hoosier State, but Florida, too.
Over the weekend, scientists with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center caught a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) expected to collide with Earth’s upper atmosphere sometime Monday.
Federal forecasters on Dec. 8 released an aurora forecast map that includes nearly a dozen U.S. states with chances to see the northern lights directly overhead. The southern-most viewing line slices just north of Indiana, but that doesn’t rule out Indiana’s chances.
Article continues after photo gallery.
A different forecast model by the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska paints a rosier outlook. It predicts the northern lights might be viewable low on the horizon as far south as Louisville.
Space weather, of course, is notoriously difficult to predict. Hoosiers might step outside late Monday night to find beautiful auroras of purple, pink and green, or they might gaze up and see diddly squat. Here’s what stargazing Hoosiers should know.
What states could see the auroras tonight, Dec. 8, 2025?
At least ten U.S. states have a chance to see the northern lights directly overhead on Monday, Dec. 8, according to NOAA’s aurora forecast map. They include:
- Alaska;
- Washington;
- Idaho;
- Montana;
- Wyoming;
- North Dakota;
- South Dakota;
- Minnesota;
- Wisconsin;
- Michigan.
When are the northern lights tonight, Dec. 8, 2025? What time?
Auroras could be visible in more states than those listed above, according to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute website, which tracks the phenomenon.
Beginning at 10 p.m. ET, Monday, Dec. 8, until 1 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, the institute predicts high aurora activity will be seen in cities that include:
- Vancouver, British Columbia;
- Helena, Montana;
- Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Toronto, Ontario;
- Montpelier, Vermont.
According to its map of aurora activity, the institute shows the northern lights could also appear low on the horizon on Dec. 8 as far south as Indianapolis, including cities in these other U.S. states:
- Iowa;
- Illinois;
- Indiana;
- Kentucky;
- Ohio;
- Pennsylvania;
- New York;
- Maine and across New England.
What’s Central Indiana’s weather forecast? Will auroras be visible?
Seeing the auroras as far south of Indianapolis, of course, depends on if the weather cooperates.
Skies Monday, Dec. 8, will be partly cloudy in Central Indiana, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. The low is expected to be around 22 with light and variable winds around 5-7 mph, so be sure to wear warm clothing if you plan to stay outside for some late night sky watching.
Why is space weather hard to predict?
When a solar storm happens, it sends particles flowing from the sun that get caught up in Earth’s magnetic field, causing colorful auroras to form as they interact with molecules of atmospheric gases.
Experts have long struggled to accurately forecast exactly when and where the phenomenon will occur. Even the best predictions can only accurately be made a few days or even hours in advance.
Unlike terrestrial weather, scientists who forecast celestial events like the aurora rely on observations of the 93-million-miles-away sun to make their predictions.
When is the best time to see the northern lights?
If the weather is clear, the best auroras are usually visible within an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA. The best way to see the northern lights is to get away from any cities and travel to dark locations free of light pollution.
The agency also maintains an aurora dashboard that should help skywatchers track the phenomenon.
Where to see auroras in Indiana
In an earlier interview with IndyStar, Dr. Aarran Shaw, who serves as director of Holcomb Observatory and teaches Physics and Astronomy at Butler University, said the further north in Indiana you travel, the better the odds you have of spotting auroras, and near Gary, close to Indiana Dunes State Park, is usually ideal for stargazing.
“I believe Beverly Shores, close to Gary, is an International Dark Sky location which would be a prime spot for viewing the Aurora,” Shaw said. “Similarly, I believe there is another dark sky location just northeast of South Bend, just across the Michigan border.
Need help finding stars, planets and constellations? Try these free astronomy apps
The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations.
Indiana’s best places to stargaze
If possible, head to Beverly Shores, near Gary, which is an International Dark Sky location and therefore an excellent place for stargazing.
You can also travel to Kemil Beach at Indiana Dunes State Park and Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park in Michigan, which also are designated dark sky locations, according to DarkSky International.
John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
INJURY REPORT
PACERS
Ben Sheppard: Out – Calf
Tyrese Haliburton: Out – Achilles
Quenton Jackson: Out – Hamstring
Aaron Nesmith: Out – Knee
Obi Toppin: Out – Foot
Kam Jones: Out – Back
KINGS
Keegan Murray: Day-to-day – Trapezius
Domantas Sabonis: Out – Knee
Dennis Schroder: Out – Hip
Game date, time and location: Monday, Dec. 8, 7:00 p.m. EST, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, NBC Sports California
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan (Indiana), Sports 1140 AM (Sacramento)
VITALS: The Indiana Pacers (5-18) and Sacramento Kings (6-17) meet for the first of two regular season matchups. The two teams met twice last season, both resulting in wins for the Pacers. The Pacers are 55-45 all-time versus the Kings during the regular season, including 33-17 in home games and 22-28 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
PACERS
G Andrew Nembhard
G Bennedict Mathurin
C Jay Huff
F Garrison Matthews
F Pascal Siakam
KINGS
G Russell Westbrook
G Zach LaVine
C Maxime Raynaud
F DeMar DeRozan
F Keegan Murray
Spread: Pacers -3.5 (-110), Kings +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Pacers -162, Kings +136
Total points scored: 233.5 (over -108, under -112)
QUOTABLE
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle addresses recent wins and upcoming Kings game: “Getting back on defense was a big part of it. We did well in both games. We did good things offensively that helped our defense as well. Sacramento has got two Hall-of-Famers on their team, you know, DeRozan and Westbrook. They got Monk coming off the bench who’s explosive. They got LaVine who’s been an All-Star, who got 42 points last night, they smashed Miami last night. They got Murray, they got a bunch of guys. This guy Raynaud is a very good young big who’s very skilled.” … “It’s a big challenge.”
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Indiana Pacers On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Miami Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
The Indiana Hoosiers edged the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship and were rewarded Sunday morning with a No. 1 College Football Playoff ranking and the invitation to the Rose Bowl that goes with it.
Indiana (13-0) will play the winner of the CFP quarterfinal between No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) and No. 9 Alabama (10-3). The Sooners host the quarterfinal game on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. PST on the Oklahoma campus. The game will air on ESPN and ABC.
The Rose Bowl will kick off at 1 p.m. PST on Jan. 1 and will air on ESPN.
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