Penn St. vs. Auburn Prediction & Odds
#22 Penn State heads to Auburn for a difficult interconference matchup. The Nittany Lions have already beaten Purdue and Ohio, and they’ve scored at least 35 points in both games.
The Tigers have an unblemished record of their own. They have victories over Mercer and San Jose State. Hosting Penn State will be Auburn’s toughest test yet. This is the second half of a home-and-home series with Penn State winning last year’s matchup in Happy Valley 28-20.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
143 Penn State Nittany Lions -3 at 144 Auburn Tigers +3; O/U 47.5
3:30 PM ET Saturday, September 17th, 2022
Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
Penn State vs. Auburn Public Betting Information
The public is largely split on this game but leaning slightly toward the Nittany Lions at -3. Our CFB Public Betting Page shows that 56% of public bets are on Penn State in this matchup. Do note that those numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Penn State Game Notes
For the Nittany Lions, it’s going to be all about the running game. Freshman running back Nicholas Singleton exploded onto the scene last week, racking up 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries. He’s averaging 10.5 yards per tote on the season and he figures to be heavily involved in Penn State’s offensive game plan on Saturday.
The reason Penn State will try to run the ball is to take some pressure off of senior QB Sean Clifford. He’s a decent player (67-25 career TD-INT ratio, 7.8 yards per career pass attempt) but they don’t want it all to be on his shoulders in a tough SEC road test. To that end, the Nittany Lions are 11-16 straight up in regular-season games against SEC opponents.
Auburn Game Notes
If the Auburn Tigers win this game it will be because of their defense. They are 10th in the country in fewest rushing yards allowed per game at 64. Now granted, their opponents were Mercer and San Jose State. But last year in University Park, PA Auburn stuffed Penn State’s running game, allowing 84 total rushing yards on 2.5 yards per carry. Auburn linebacker Cam Riley is second in the SEC with 13 solo tackles and he should make a bunch more on Saturday.
Penn State vs. Auburn Betting Trends
Penn State is 9-6 straight up in their last 15 games.
Auburn is 8-7 straight up in their last 15 games.
54% of the handle is on Penn State.
Penn State is 9-6 ATS dating back to the beginning of last year.
Auburn is 6-9 ATS dating back to the beginning of last season.
Penn State is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 against the SEC.
The Under is 4-1 in Penn State’s last 5 games after scoring 40 points or more in their previous game.
The Under is 6-1 in Auburn’s last 7 games following an outright win.
Penn State vs. Auburn Betting Prediction
I think this is going to be an ugly defensive battle. I think Auburn’s talented front seven, which is littered with four-star recruits, is the difference here. I also think it’s worth noting that Penn State is having kicker problems, which could very well matter in a close game. I’d take a long look at the under 47.5 and even the Auburn money line at +145. But I’ll give out Auburn and the points.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PREDICTION: Auburn Tigers +3
