Auburn Tigers at Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
There aren’t many better atmospheres in College Football than Happy Valley at night. Add to that a stadium “white-out,” and you’ve got all the makings of a marquee primetime game. Bryan Harsin may be new at the helm for Auburn, but most of his players have played in big stadiums across the SEC, so there shouldn’t be an intimidation factor.
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Auburn Tigers Team Preview
Auburn has looked as dominant as any team in College Football to start the season, but there’s a catch. Auburn’s strength of schedule per Sagarin is ranked 231 in the country. For reference, there are only 129 FBS football teams. The Tigers have looked fantastic to open the season, but there would be a concern if they hadn’t looked like this.
Quarterback Bo Nix has gotten off to a great start, and the biggest piece of that is the lack of turnovers. Nix has struggled in his first two seasons giving the ball away, but so far this year, he’s done a good job of possessing the football when it’s in his hands. One of the bigger surprises is that SEC Freshman of the Year from a season ago, Tank Bigsby, is second on the team in rushing behind current freshman Jarquez Hunter. Hunter broke a 94-yard touchdown up the gut against Alabama State, showing a burst that will add another element to this Auburn offense.
Defensively the Tigers have been stout, only allowing 10 points on the year so far. The linebackers make up the heart of this defense as their top three lead the team in tackles. The Auburn defense ranks second in the conference behind Georgia in rushing defense through two weeks.
Penn State Nittany Lions Team Preview
James Franklin and crew picked up one of the bigger Week 1 wins by coming out of Camp Randall victorious over rival Wisconsin. The game was low-scoring in typical Big Ten fashion, and the Penn State defense was a big reason the team was able to come out of that game victorious.
Sean Clifford had a better start to the season than his 2020 campaign showed. The quarterback connected with Jahan Dotson on a couple of long passes in Week 1 but also missed the receiver or underthrew him on a few routes as well. If Penn State hopes to knock off Auburn, they’ll have to connect on these plays.
The Penn State defense lost a number of players a year ago but has been a solid group thus far. The group has created five turnovers in the first two weeks, including four interceptions. If Bo Nix has truly improved his ball security, Penn State will be a great test to prove that.
Betting Preview
BetOnline, BetUS, and Bovada all have the Nittany Lions favored at home by 5 points. The total points betting line is currently sitting at 52 points on all of the sportsbooks as well.
Bryan Harsin faces his first real challenge as head coach of Auburn after a couple of tune-up games. The Tigers have put up 60 or more points in each of their first two games, but that would be a complete surprise to see them reach that total again.
Expect both of these defenses to have success and likely force a few turnovers each. This game will likely come out with a lower score, so keep an eye on the under 52 as a play. Penn State has the advantage at home in Happy Valley, and Auburn’s offensive line may struggle with the Nittany Lions front seven. Take Penn State laying the points in the whiteout.
