Pittsburgh vs. Penn State Total Pick
Should No. 4 Penn State and in-state rival, Pittsburgh, see their Saturday 3:30PM ET game turn into a defensive struggle?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Penn State is the clear favorite in this game, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -21 points against the Panthers. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 66.5 points. Pittsburgh won last year’s meeting at home, 42-39. The two went well over the 44-point total. Saturday’s game will take place from Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania and air live on ABC.
NCAA FB QUICK LINKS: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats | Standings
Penn State opened its season with a dominant 52-0 win over Akron last week. The total for that game was set at 64.5 points. The Nittany Lions manhandled the Zips from the start, holding them to just 159 yards of offense while racking up 569 of their own. Saquon Barkley began his Heisman campaign with 172 rushing yards on 14 carries to go with two touchdowns. Trace McSorley also looked great, throwing for 280 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-25 passing.
Pittsburgh is coming off a hard-fought 28-21 OT win over Youngstown State at home last week. The Panthers went under the 66.5-point total. The Panthers actually held a 21-0 lead at halftime and saw Youngstown rally in the second half to force OT. Pitt was outgained 418-348 in the win, as the Panthers amassed just 140 passing yards. Max Browne threw for 140 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-24 passing last weekend. Qadree Ollison led the team in rushing with 91 yards and two touchdowns. However, he suffered an ankle injury last week that has him questionable for this game right now.
Bet on Pittsburgh vs. Penn State
Penn State looked even stronger than it was a year ago against Akron, Granted the Zips aren’t a stellar football team, but Penn State’s defense seems legit. Pitt has some serious questions on both sides of the ball right now, but the Panthers could be without their leading rusher. I don’t see the Panthers being able to match the Nittany Lions score for score like they did last year. While Penn State could put up a big number, I see Pitt being limited on offense, which should keep the teams well below the 66.5-point total.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH/PENN STATE UNDER 66.5