Pittsburgh vs. Penn State Pick
Can the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions cruise past in-state rival, Pittsburgh, when the two meet up in the loud confines of Beaver Stadium at 3:30PM ET today?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Penn State is the clear favorite in this game, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -21.5 points against the Panthers. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 64 points. Pittsburgh won last year’s meeting at home, 42-39, but Penn State covered. Pitt has actually covered in four of the last five meetings. Today’s game will take place from Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania and air live on ABC.
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Penn State opened its season with a dominant 52-0 win over Akron last week. The Nittany Lions easily covered the 29.5-point spread. PSU manhandled the Zips from the start, holding them to just 159 yards of offense while racking up 569 of their own. Saquon Barkley opened the season on a high note, posting 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 28-21 OT win over Youngstown State at home last week. The Panthers were a 13-point favorite coming into the game. Pittsburgh 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 the 140 yards and had a touchdown on 17-of-24 passing in the win. Qadree Ollison led the team in rushing with 91 yards and two touchdowns. However, he suffered an ankle injury last week and is still listed as questionable for this game.
Bet on Pittsburgh vs. Penn State
The spread is big for a rivalry game, but Penn State will be looking to make a statement with this game after losing to Pitt last year on the road. The Nittany Lions have been great at home, going 6-0-1 against the spread in their last seven home games. They also are 10-0-1 ATS in their last 11 overall. Pitt is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games against Big Ten opponents and 3-13 ATS in their last 16 non-conference games. Look for Penn State to run over Pitt and pick up another lopsided win.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: PENN STATE -4