Penn State vs Iowa Picks, Line and Odds

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Kinnick Stadium

Sean Clifford and the Penn State Nittany Lions travel to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Iowa Hawkeyes. The spread on this contest has Penn State as 3-point favorites. The Nittany Lions are 3-2-0 ATS and 2-3-0 when betting on the total. The Hawkeyes are 1-3-1 when wagering on the over/under and 2-3-0 against the spread.

Key Penn State Nittany Lions Injuries

10/06/19 WR Daniel George Wrist is questionable Saturday vs Iowa
10/06/19 RB Journey Brown Knee is questionable Saturday vs Iowa
10/06/19 WR Justin Shorter Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Iowa

Key Iowa Hawkeyes Injuries

10/06/19 DB Kaevon Merriweather Foot is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
10/06/19 OL Alaric Jacskon Knee is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
10/06/19 DL Brady Reiff Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
10/06/19 OL Kyler Schott Foot is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
10/06/19 DB Matt Hankins Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
09/03/19 DB Riley Moss Leg is out indefinitely
09/03/19 DB Julius Brents Knee is out indefinitely

In their last game, the Penn State Nittany Lions faced the Purdue Boilermakers and won 35-7. Leading the way at QB for the Nittany Lions was Sean Clifford who went 20/29 with 264 yards passing and added 3 TD's. He threw 1 interception in the game. Noah Cain paced the team in rushing for the game. He broke a long run for 27 yards and he tallied 1 TD during the game. He ran for a total of 105 yards by way of 12 carries which had him averaging 8.8 yards per carry. Jahan Dotson was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 79 yards on 2 catches. He notched an average of 39.5 yards per reception for the game. The Nittany Lions ran the ball 46 times and racked up 196 yards which gave them an average of 4.3 yards per run. Overall, the Nittany Lions had a total of 24 first downs and they totaled 4 penalties for 49 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In all, they ran 75 plays which added up to 460 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Penn State allowed 14 catches on 28 attempts for a total of 123 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. On the day, they gave up 104 yards and earned 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Nittany Lions allowed -19 yards on 28 tries giving the other team an average of -0.7 yards per attempt allowed.

The Nittany Lions come into this game with a record of 5-0 in 2019. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 47 points per contest, ranking them 5th in the nation. As a team, they are averaging 194.6 yards on the ground per contest which is 5th in the Big Ten Conference. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 3rd in the Big Ten Conference and 23rd in the nation with 2,501 yards. The Nittany Lions have one of the top tier defenses in D-1, giving up 7.4 points per contest putting them 2nd in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Nittany Lions have allowed 1,528 yards. Opponents are completing 57.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. When it comes to rushing yards, Penn State is allowing 50.6 yards per contest ranking them 1st in the Big Ten Conference and 2nd in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 1.5 yards per carry putting them 1st in the conference and 1st in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 253 rushing yards through 5 games.

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In their last outing, the Iowa Hawkeyes went up against the Michigan Wolverines and took the defeat by a score of 10-3. Toren Young paced the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 15 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for 40 yards by way of 8 carries which meant he was running for 5.0 yards per run. Tyler Goodson was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 62 yards on 5 catches. He had an average of 12.4 yards per catch for the game. Running the show from under center for the Hawkeyes was Nate Stanley who went 23/42 with 260 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 3 interceptions during the game. The Hawkeyes ran the football 30 times and earned a total of 1 yards which earned them an average of 0.0 yards per attempt. In the game, the Hawkeyes racked up a total of 18 first downs and they had a total of 8 penalties for 60 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. On the day, they ran 72 plays for 261 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Iowa allowed 14 catches on 26 attempts totaling 147 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.8%. For this contest, they allowed 271 yards and forced 1 takeaway. In the running game, the Hawkeyes allowed 124 yards on 32 tries allowing their opponent an average of 3.9 yards per carry allowed.

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The Hawkeyes step onto the field holding a record of 4-1. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Hawkeyes have one of the average offenses in college football. Iowa has made teams respect their running game by averaging 174.2 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 55th in Division 1. As a unit, they have a total of 871 yards rushing through 5 contests, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Hawkeyes average 424.2 yards per contest overall ranking them 63rd in college football and 5th in the conference. The Hawkeyes are allowing 8.8 points per game which puts them at 4th in the conference and 4th in the nation. Their pass defense is one of the most dominate units in the country. They are giving up 167.4 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Hawkeyes are currently ranked 4th in the Big Ten. In discussing points given up, they have allowed 44 total points. In terms of yards on the ground, they are giving up 87.6 yards per game ranking them 11th in the country and 4th in the Big Ten Conference. In 2019, they have allowed a total of 438 rushing yards and 1 rushing TD.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Nittany Lions -3

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