# Friday's Top Games to Watch

> Penn State vs. Northwestern and NHL games offer best bets for Friday's action.
- Title: Friday's Top Games to Watch · CBS Sports | Shortify
- Summary: Penn State vs. Northwestern and NHL games offer best bets for Friday's action. Penn State is a 2.5-point spread favorite over Northwestern in their first…
- Keywords: penn state, northwestern, ryan field, nhl, rangers, red wings, capitals, hurricanes, sports betting, college football, fubo, sports
- Source: CBS Sports — https://cbssports.com/betting/news/todays-top-games-to-watch-best-bets-odds-penn-state-at-northwestern-pitt-at-virginia-tech-nhl-and-more
- Published: 2026-10-02T19:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: penn state, northwestern, ryan field, nhl, rangers, red wings, capitals, hurricanes, sports betting, college football, fubo, sports
## New Ryan Field Debut
New Ryan Field, the most expensive college stadium ever built at $870 million, hosts Northwestern Wildcats for their first game on Friday.
## Penn State vs. Northwestern
Penn State (3-1, 0-1) hosts Northwestern (2-1, 0-1) at Ryan Field with Penn State as a 2.5-point spread favorite.
## Northwestern's Weak Defense
Northwestern ranks 128th in college football with 199.3 rushing yards per game, vulnerable against Penn State's 183.5 average.
## NHL Games Preview
Friday's NHL matchups include Rangers vs. Red Wings and Capitals vs. Hurricanes with betting odds and projections.
## Rangers vs. Red Wings
Rangers play Red Wings in Detroit at 6:30 p.m. with SportsLine predicting a 51.1% chance of six or more goals combined.
## Capitals vs. Hurricanes
Capitals host Hurricanes in Raleigh with SportsLine projecting a 66% chance for Capitals to cover a +1.5 point spread.
## Best Bets Summary
Penn State is a 2.5-point spread favorite over Northwestern, with Capitals favored to cover a +1.5 point spread in their NHL matchup.
## Key takeaway

Penn State is a 2.5-point spread favorite over Northwestern in their first game at the new $870 million Ryan Field, with NHL matchups including Rangers vs. Red Wings and Capitals vs. Hurricanes.