Purdue at Penn State Expert College Football Picks 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Beaver Stadium

Elijah Sindelar and the Purdue Boilermakers head to Beaver Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Penn State Nittany Lions. The spread on this contest has Penn State as 11-point favorites. The Boilermakers are 1-2-0 ATS and 2-1-0 when betting on the total. The Nittany Lions are 2-1-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-0 against the spread.

Key Purdue Boilermakers Injuries

09/29/19 QB Elijah Sindelar Shoulder left last game, is doubtful Saturday vs Penn State
09/29/19 WR Jared Sparks Ankle is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
09/29/19 WR Rondale Moore Leg left last game, is questionable Saturday vs Penn State
09/12/19 LB Markus Bailey Knee is out for season
08/30/19 DT Lorenzo Neal Knee is out indefinitely
08/19/19 RB Tario Fuller Jaw is out indefinitely
08/17/19 RB Richie Worship Knee is out indefinitely

Key Penn State Nittany Lions Injuries

09/29/19 WR Daniel George Wrist is questionable Saturday vs Purdue
09/29/19 RB Journey Brown Knee is questionable Saturday vs Purdue
09/29/19 WR Justin Shorter Undisclosed left last game, is questionable Saturday vs Purdue

In the last game they played, the Purdue Boilermakers went up against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and were beaten 38-31. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Boilermakers was Jack Plummer who went 23/41 with 245 yards through the air and added 2 touchdowns. He tossed 2 interceptions in the game. King Doerue paced the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 15 yards and he ran for 2 TD's for the game. He rushed for 94 yards on 20 carries which gave him an average of 4.7 yards per carry. David Bell was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 114 yards on 8 catches. He had an average of 14.3 yards per catch for the game. The Purdue Boilermakers ended up rushing 33 times and generated 123 yards which gave them an average of 3.7 yards per run. In the game, they ran 82 plays which gave them a total of 414 yards. For the game, the Boilermakers totaled 28 first downs and they totaled 3 infractions for 29 yards which tells us that they had a disciplined week in practice. When discussing the defense, Purdue conceded 21 catches on 22 attempts totaling 396 yards, and a completion percentage of 95.5%. In the game, they conceded a total of 488 yards but weren't able to foce a turnover. Against the run, the Boilermakers conceded 92 yards on 34 carries giving the other team an average of 2.7 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

The Boilermakers step onto the field holding a record of 1-3 this year. For total yardage, they sit in 9th in the Big Ten Conference and 81st in college football with 1,680 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 29.3 points per game, putting them 75th in college football. As a unit, they are averaging 69 rushing yards per game which is 14th in the conference. The Boilermakers have one of the worst defenses in college football, allowing 32.5 points per game which has them at 13th in the Big Ten Conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Boilermakers have allowed 1,404 yards. Teams are completing 61.6% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 8.1 yards per try. In regard to yards on the ground, Purdue is giving up 154.5 yards per contest putting them 12th in the Big Ten Conference and 73rd in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.3 yards per carry which has them at 13th in the conference and 78th in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 618 rushing yards through 4 contests.

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The last time they took the field, the Penn State Nittany Lions went up against the Maryland Terrapins and won 59-0. Sean Clifford led the team on the ground for that contest. His longest run of the day went for 25 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He ran for a total of 54 yards on 7 carries which meant he was running for 7.7 yards per carry. KJ Hamler was the leader in receiving yardage by racking up 108 yards on 6 receptions. He earned an average of 18.0 yards per catch for that contest. Running the show from under center for the Nittany Lions was Sean Clifford who went 26/31 with 398 yards through the air and completed 3 touchdowns. He tossed 1 interception on the day. The Penn State Nittany Lions ended up running the ball 40 times and racked up a total of 201 yards which earned them an average of 5.0 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, the Nittany Lions earned a total of 30 1st downs and they had 7 penalties for 81 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. In all, they ran 80 plays which added up to 622 yards. In terms of defense, Penn State gave up 11 completions on 24 attempts totaling 68 yards, and a completion percentage of 45.8%. On the ground, the Nittany Lions gave up 60 yards on 34 carries allowing their opponent an average of 1.8 yards per attempt allowed. On the day, they allowed 128 yards and earned 3 turnovers.

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The Nittany Lions head into this game 4-0. In discussing the offensive production, the Nittany Lions have one of the top tier offenses in the country. Penn State has built a respectable ground game this year by averaging 194.3 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 44th in Division 1. As a unit, they have a total of 777 yards rushing through 4 games, so they will want to continue to try to improve on the run game so opponents will have to respect all facets of the game. The Nittany Lions average 510.3 yards per contest overall which has them at 11th in Division 1 and 1st in the conference. The Nittany Lions are allowing 7.5 points per contest which puts them at 2nd in the Big Ten and 2nd in college football. When it comes to points allowed, they have allowed 30 points in total. In discussing yards on the ground, they are giving up 68 yards per contest ranking them 8th in college football and 4th in the Big Ten. For 2019, they have given up 272 yards rushing and 1.2 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road units in the nation. They are giving up 206.5 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Nittany Lions are currently ranked 9th in the conference.

Who will win tonight's Boilermakers/Nittany Lions NCAA football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Nittany Lions -11

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