Penn State Nittany Lions vs Clemson Tigers Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 12/27/2025

Game Time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, December 27, 2025

Venue:  Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Where to Watch:  ABC

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  PSU +3, Clemson -3; Over/Under:  48.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  PSU +3, Clemson -3; Over/Under:  48.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  PSU +3.5, Clemson -3.5; Over/Under:  48.5 points

Penn State Nittany Lions:  6-6 (3-6) (12th place, Big Ten)

Clemson Tigers:  7-5 (4-4) (8th place, ACC)

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Penn State Nittany Lions:  won their last game on the road against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 40-36.

Clemson Tigers:  won their last game on the road against the South Carolina Gamecocks 28-14.

Penn State is entering this game with a 6-6 record overall and they have a 3-6 record in their conference games too. They are 4-3 in their home games, 2-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, and they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Rutgers 40-36. Ethan Grunkemeyer was the starting QB and he completed 17/21 passes for 209 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Kaytron Allen led the team in rushing yards with 226 and 1 TD. Andrew Rappleyea led the receivers with 75 receiving yards on 4 receptions and 1 TD. Amare Campbell led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles while Dominic Deluca led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.

 

 

 

Clemson is entering this game with a 7-5 record overall and they have a 4-4 record in their conference games too. They are 3-4 in their home games, 4-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against South Carolina 28-14. Cade Klubnik was the starting QB and he completed 24/39 passes for 268 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Adam Randall led the team in rushing yards with 102 and 1 TD. T.J. Moore led the receivers with 101 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Sammy Brown led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while T.J. Parker led the defense in sacks with 3. Ricardo Jones came away with the only 2 interceptions for them in that one.

The current betting odds have Clemson listed as a 3 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Clemson has looked good in their games this season with their 7-5 record overall, but their 4-4 conference record had them right in the middle of the ACC. They haven't played in any neutral site games this season so this will be their first, playing in the Pinstripe Bowl. Meanwhile, Penn State hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 6-6 record overall and their 4-4 conference record which had them right in the middle of the Big Ten. They haven't played in any neutral site games this year either. Both of these teams had very disappointing seasons as both were expected to be contending for the National Championship. Both seasons fell apart for different reasons, but Penn State is definitely in a worse position here. Penn State was supposed to be one of the best teams in the nation, but they struggled early on and ended up firing James Franklin. They were one of the first teams to fire their head coach this year and they were one of the last teams to hire so they have been a bit of a disaster, and injuries haven't helped. Clemson wasn't nearly as good as they were supposed to be this year, but they still have their head coach and were playing better toward the end of the year, ending the regular season with a 28-14 win over South Carolina. Clemson is in the much better situation here and they will be looking to end the season with a positive. The best way to place a bet here is on Clemson to cover the spread in this game. 

Penn State Clemson Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, December 27, 2025 (12:00 pm ET start time) is Clemson 28 Penn State 17.

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Penn State Nittany Lions: 8-4 ATS against ACC opponents. 6-1 ATS in minor bowl games (played in December). 32-16 ATS after a win by 6 or less points. 11-6 OVER off a win against a conference rival. 

Clemson Tigers: 4-8 ATS in non-conference games. 2-7 ATS off a road win. 3-10 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 5-1 OVER after a bye week. 

Penn State Nittany Lions:  J. Smolik (QB) Questionable - Arm. J. Brown (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Granville (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Robinson (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Artis (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. O'Hara (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Horan (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Nastasi (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. P. Gonzalez (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Saunders (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Mayer (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Mears (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Pryts (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Kritza (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Williams (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Brewer (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Belgrave-Shorter (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Coleman (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Payne Jr. (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Jennings (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Speca (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Outten (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Rojas (LB) Doubtful - Undisclosed. D. Allar (QB) Out - Undisclosed.

Clemson Tigers:  A. Terrell (CB) Out - Quadricep. T. Moore (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Williams (WR) Out - Undisclosed. C. Klubnik (QB) Probable - Undisclosed. T. Parker (DL) Doubtful - Undisclosed. A. Adams (DL) Out - Ankle. O. Patt-Henry (TE) Out - Undisclosed. J. Lawson (DL) Out - Ankle. E. Thurmon (OG) Out - Undisclosed. A. Mason (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Haynes (RB) Questionable - Knee. M. Williams Lee (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Anderson (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Wilkes (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Wesco Jr. (WR) Out - Head. E. Ware (OG) Out - Shoulder. J. Green (RB) Out - Foot.

“We’re thrilled to represent Penn State in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Playing in New York City is special, especially with so many of the greatest alumni in the world living in the tri-state area. Our guys have worked relentlessly all season, and this is another chance to show the toughness and pride that define this program. We’ve battled through adversity, stayed together and earned the right to compete one more time as a family. This group is hungry and we’re ready for this opportunity.” - Terry Smith on his team playing in the Pinstripe Bowl.

"We wish them well and appreciate their contributions here as they move forward." - Dabo Swinney on the players opting out of the Pinstripe Bowl. 

WR Hudson, Kyron

WR Ross, Devonte

WR Peña, Trebor

TE Dinkins, Khalil

QB Grunkemeyer, Ethan

RB Allen, Kaytron

WR Moore, T.J.

WR Smith, Tristan

WR Williams, Antonio

TE Patt-Henry, Olsen

QB Klubnik, Cade

RB Randall, Adam

Passing: Drew Allar (1,100)

Rushing: Kaytron Allen (1,303)

Receiving: Trebor Pena (452)

Touchdowns: Kaytron Allen (15)

Passing: Cade Klubnik (2,750)

Rushing: Adam Randall (779)

Receiving: T.J. Moore (754)

Touchdowns: Adam Randall (12)

Coaches:

Penn State Nittany Lions: Terry Smith (Interim)

Clemson Tigers: Dabo Swinney (18th season)