Akron at Penn State College Football Picks & Predictions 9/2/2017

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Beaver Stadium

Get todays College Football Odds & Lines on this game

The Akron Zips travel to Beaver Stadium to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, September 2, 2017. The opening line for this game has Penn State as 35 point favorites. The Zips had an ATS record of 4-8-0 last season while their over/under record was 5-7-0. The Nittany Lions had an over/under record of 11-3-0 and they were 10-3-1 against the spread.

Valuable Akron Zips Betting Trends

The Akron Zips were 5-7-0 against the over/under last season

The Akron Zips were 4-8-0 against the spread last year

Important Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Trends

The Penn State Nittany Lions were 11-3-0 against the over/under last season

The Penn State Nittany Lions were 10-3-1 against the spread last year

Key Akron Zips Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Penn State Nittany Lions Injuries

No key injuries to report

Useful Offensive Statistics

The Akron Zips were 81st in Division 1 in points scored with 329 last year. They ran 776 plays last season for 3,064 yards, which ranked them 58th in the nation in total offense. The Zips averaged 6 yards per play, which was 48th in college football. As a team they accumulated a total of 234 1st downs last year, placing them 107th overall as an offensive unit. On the ground Akron ran for 1,586 yards as a team, which ranked 110th in the country. They ran 380 times, averaging 4.2 yards per carry as a rushing unit. The Zips were penalized on offense 91 times for 808 yards last season, which had them 23rd in the nation in penalties. Thomas Woodson threw for 2,079 yards last season. He completed 146 passes on 242 attempts for a completion percentage of 60.3%. His quarterback rating last year was 152.1. He averaged 8.6 yards per pass attempt and 9 adjusted yards per throw.

Defensive Statistics

Akron was 89th in the nation in points allowed on defense with 403 last season. They surrendered a total of 5,594 yards on D, which was 96th in Division 1. The Zips were ranked 89th in yards per play allowed with 6.1. Opposing offenses completed 239 passes on 390 attempts against the Akron Zips defense last season, placing them 66th and 48th in the country. The Akron pass defense also gave up a total of 2,896 yards through the air, which was 63rd overall in total pass defense. Their rushing defense allowed 533 attempts for 2,698 yards last year, putting them in 100th place in D-1 against the run. The Zips committed 80 penalties for 800 yards on the defensive side of the ball last season. That ranked them 103rd in the nation.

Useful Offensive Statistics

The Nittany Lions ran for 2,449 yards as a team last year, which ranked 54th in the nation. They ran 536 times, averaging 4.6 yards per rush as a unit. The Penn State Nittany Lions were penalized on offense 67 times for 617 yards last year, which had them 92nd in the country in penalties. They were 13th in Division 1 in points scored with 526. They ran 927 plays last year for 3,650 yards, which ranked them 23rd in the nation in total offense. The Nittany Lions averaged 6.6 yards per play, which was 19th in college football. As a team they accumulated a total of 286 1st downs last season, ranking them 46th overall as an offensive unit. Trace McSorley completed 224 throws while attempting 387 passes for a completion percentage of 57.9% last year. He passed for 3,614 yards. He averaged 9.9 adjusted yards per throw and 9.3 yards per pass attempt. His quarterback rating last season was 156.9.

Defensive Statistics

The Penn State Nittany Lions rush defense gave up 552 attempts for 2,118 yards last season, putting them in 58th place in the country against the run. They had 101 penalties for 879 yards on defense last year. That placed them 119th in Division 1. Penn State was 67th in college football in points surrendered on defense with 356. They gave up a total of 5,151 yards on D, which was 63rd in the nation. The Nittany Lions were 21st in yards per play allowed with 5. Opponent offenses completed 293 throws on 472 attempts against the Penn State defense last season, ranking them 115th and 106th in the country. The Penn State Nittany Lions pass defense also surrendered a total of 3,032 yards in the air, which was 82nd overall in total pass defense.

Who will win tonight's Zips/Nittany Lions college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Zips +35

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Tony Sink