Temple vs. Penn State Pick
Will Temple and Penn State find themselves in a defensive struggle when they meet up in college football action at Noon ET on Saturday?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Penn State is the favorite in this game. The Nittany Lions are being given odds of -8.5 points against Temple. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 51 points. Temple won last year’s meetings and has covered in four of the last six encounters. These two have hit the under in seven of their last eight meetings.
Penn State is coming off a 42-39 loss at Pittsburgh last week. The Nittany Lions opened the season with a 33-13 win over Kent State and they are 1-1 against the spread while hitting the over in both games. Surprisingly, Penn State has hit the over in five of its last six games, but those totals were all 44 points or lower. Typically a strength for Penn State, its rushing defense has been an issue thus far. Penn State is giving up 245.5 yards per game on the ground right now while averaging just 109.5 yards per contest. Saquon Barkley has rushed for 190 yards and five touchdowns while Trace McSorley has thrown for 541 yards and three scores.
Temple lost to Army 28-13 to start the season before beating Stoney Brook 38-0 last week. The Owls are 1-1 against the spread but have hit the under in six straight games, including both games this season. Temple is relying on its defense right now, as it is giving up just 238.5 yards per game. However, the offense isn’t holding up its end, as it is averaging just 276 yards per contest. Phillip Walker has thrown for 292 yards and three touchdowns to lead the offense, but has four interceptions.
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Last week’s showing against Pitt was pretty surprising. The Nittany Lions put up 39 points, which not many were expecting. Now they could find success against Temple, though the Owls have a pretty good defense of their own. The issue here is the Owls being able to move the ball on the Lions. Temple has struggled against lesser competition. Penn State should be able to build off what it did against Pitt while locking up the defense. Look for this game to hit the under and return to true Penn State fashion.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PICK: TEMPLE/PENN STATE UNDER 51