In a game that showcases a pair of schools that are nationally ranked in the Top 20, the No. 17 Nittany Lions of Penn State (-6) are set to welcome their in-conference nemesis Iowa Hawkeyes to Beaver Stadium. ESPN will broadcast the action and kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
Iowa is a live dog here and is currently getting 6 points. The Hawkeyes are also receiving +185 moneyline odds while the Nittany Lions are -230. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 54 points. Based on how it’s shaping up, this matchup will likely have some live betting opportunities.
The surprising Hawkeyes have gained 5.0 units this season and are 6-1 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 3-3. The Nittany Lions have lost 5.0 units this year. The team is 4-3 ATS and owns an O/U record of 5-2.
The Hawkeyes have gone 6-1 straight up (SU), including 3-1 SU against conference opponents. The Nittany Lions are 5-2 SU overall and 2-2 SU in conference play.
The Hawkeyes are coming off a resounding 23-0 victory over Maryland last week. The defense did its part in the win, holding the Terrapins to just 47 passing yards and 68 rushing yards. Jeshaun Jones had a productive day for the Terrapins in that one with 17 yards on one catch. On the offensive side of the ball, Nate Stanley completed just 11-of-22 passes for 86 yards, along with one score and a pick. Ivory Kelly-Martin (98 yards on 24 rush attempts) and Mekhi Sargent (54 yards on 10 carries) spearheaded the ground attack in the win while T.J. Hockenson (three receptions, 30 yards) and Noah Fant (three catches, 14 yards) handled the receiving duties.
Penn State just earned a 33-28 win over Indiana. The team’s defensive unit let the Hoosiers pass for 330 yards while rushing for 224 yards and three scores. Stevie Scott torched the defense, recording 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 attempts for Indiana. For Penn State, Trace McSorley completed 19-of-36 passes for 220 yards and one interception. McSorley (107 rushing yards on 19 attempts, two TDs) and Miles Sanders (72 yards on 15 carries, one TD) mounted the ground game in the win while Sanders (six receptions, 54 yards) and KJ Hamler (four catches, 27 yards) led all Penn State pass-catchers.
Each team has a similar run-pass ratio on the season. Iowa has run the ball on 58.7 percent of its offensive possessions while Penn State has an overall rush percentage of 57.3. The Hawkeyes have produced 165 rush yards/game (including 159 per game against Big Ten opponents) and have nine touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Nittany Lions are putting up 241 rush yards per game (243 in conference) and have 25 total rushing TDs.
The Hawkeyes offensive scheme has tallied 232 yards per contest in the air overall (244 per game versus conference opposition) and has 16 passing TDs so far. The Nittany Lions have put up 240 pass yards per game (231.3 against Big 10 foes) and have 14 total pass scores.
Defensively, Iowa appears to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed 80 rush yards and 179 pass yards per game. The Penn State defense has allowed 226.9 yards per game to opposing passers and 165.1 yards per game to opposing runners. The Hawkeyes are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.81 to opponents, while the Nittany Lions have given up a 4.43 ANY/A.
Offensively, Stanley is up to 1,239 passing yards on the year, and has completed 60 percent of his 163 attempts with 10 passing scores and five interceptions. Stanley’s got a 7.10 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 8.05 over the last two games.
The Hawkeyes will probably try to control tempo by putting the ball into the hands of their running backs. In addition to tight end T.J. Hockenson (317 receiving yards and one touchdown), Mekhi Sargent (238 rush yards, four rush TDs) and Toren Young (307 rush yards, two rush TDs) have brought significant production to the Iowa offensive scheme.
Trace McSorley has completed 92-of-174 passes for 1,269 yards, 10 TDs and three INTs for Penn State. His ANY/A stands at 6.89 for the season and 5.06 across his last two outings.
The Nittany Lions also like to utilize their backfield. In addition to Miles Sanders (112 receiving yards), Trace McSorley (517 rush yards, eight rush TDs) and KJ Hamler (32 rush yards, one rush TD, 335 receiving yards, four TDs) have seen a multitude of looks recently.
When these two squads met a year ago, Penn State got the victory 21-19.
RELATED: Week 9 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
NCAA Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Notes
The Hawkeyes offense has created eight pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Nittany Lions have put up seven such plays.
The Iowa defense has allowed two pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Penn State has given up three such plays.
The Iowa offense has created three rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Penn State has created 15 such runs.
The Hawkeyes defense has allowed one rushing play of 20 or more yards, while the Nittany Lions have given up eight such runs.
The Penn State defense has created 25 sacks on the year while Iowa has 22.
Iowa has averaged 3.9 yards per carry across its last three games and 4.6 over its last two.
Penn State has averaged 5.2 yards per carry over its last three contests and 5.6 over its last two.
Over its last three games, Penn State is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Over/Under for Iowa’s last game was set at 44.5. The under cashed in the team’s 23-0 victory over Maryland.
In its last three games, Iowa is 3-0 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The O/U for Penn State’s previous game was set at 58. The over cashed in the team’s 33-28 triumph over Indiana.
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