Penn State Nittany Lions vs Arkansas Razorbacks Prediction, 1/1/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Arkansas Razorbacks

Date: Saturday, January 1, 2022

Location: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Razorbacks (+3)

Total/Over-Under: 46

The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-5) are on their way to Raymond James Stadium on Saturday where they will try to beat the Arkansas Razorbacks (8-4) in the Outback Bowl. Penn State opens this game as 3-point favorites. The total is 46.

The Penn State Nittany Lions head into this game 7-5 for this season. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Nittany Lions played the Michigan State Spartans and went home with a loss by a final score of 30-27. Keyvone Lee was the best rusher for the Nittany Lions with 15 attempts for 79 yards (5.3 yds per carry). Sean Clifford connected on 23/34 with 313 yds through the air and 3 touchdowns. He had a QB rating of 174.1 and ended the contest without throwing a pick. In the running game, the Nittany Lions conceded 183 yards on 47 attempts, which is an average of 3.9 yards per run allowed. Penn State surrendered 19 completions on 30 tries for a total of 268 yards, and a completion rate of 63.3%. In all, they ran 60 plays for 374 yards. The Penn State Nittany Lions ran the ball 26 times and accrued 61 yds, which came out to an average of 2.3 yds per carry.

When it comes to putting points on the board, the Penn State Nittany Lions have an average of 26.3 points per game. As a unit they average 106.3 yards on the ground which ranks them 118th in D-1. The Nittany Lions have racked up 4,570 total yards for the season. In terms of scoring touchdowns, Penn State has compiled 24 touchdowns via the pass and 11 rushing touchdowns. Penn State has recorded 247 first downs as an offense, and they have been called for 67 infractions for 596 yds. They have turned the ball over 13 different times.

When talking about passing yardage, the Nittany Lions have given up 2,500 yards which ranks them 31st in the country. They have surrendered 208.3 yards per contest through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 59.1%. During this campaign, they are allowing 343.9 yards/contest which ranks them 34th in the nation. They have conceded 11 touchdowns via the pass as well as 10 touchdowns via the ground game. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.5 yards per attempt on the ground and 135.6 rushing yards per contest so far this year. In total, they have given up 1,627 rushing yards through 12 games. The Nittany Lions are ranked 8th in the nation in terms of their opponents scoring, conceding 16.8 points per contest.

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The Razorbacks come into this matchup with a record of 8-4 for this season. In their last game, the Razorbacks got the win with a final of 34-17 when they faced the Missouri Tigers. K.J. Jefferson (1 TD) walked away from the game with 262 yds on 15/19 passing while his QB rating was 212.1. He didn't toss any picks and his average yards per pass attempt was 13.8. Raheim Sanders ran the ball 8 times for 21 yards, ending the contest with 2.6 yards per carry for Arkansas. The Razorbacks finished the game with a total of 425 yards while they ran 53 plays (8.0 yds per play). Arkansas rushed the football for 4.9 yds per attempt, finishing the contest with 163 yds on 33 attempts. Arkansas allowed 50 run attempts for 251 yards (5.0 yards per rush). The Razorbacks passing defense conceded a completion percentage of 38.5%, relinquishing 65 yards on 10 out of 26 through the air.

The Arkansas Razorbacks have an average of 441.8 yards/outing, ranking them 30th in the country. The Arkansas offense has totaled 786 penalty yards on 98 infractions, which ranks 7th in the nation in terms of making mistakes. During the season so far, the Razorbacks have thrown for a total of 2,683 yards via the pass as well as an average of 223.6 throwing yards per game, ranking them 73rd in D-1. In relation to their scoring prowess, the Razorbacks are sitting 44th in college football holding an average of 31.5 points per outing.

Arkansas has allowed a total of 1,876 yards rushing (156.3 yards per outing) and 17 touchdowns by way of the ground game on the year. They have yielded 16 touchdowns via the pass and 215.1 yards/game, ranking them 42nd in D-1. The Razorbacks defense has participated in 821 plays, which is good for 58th in the nation. The Razorbacks are relinquishing 24.0 PPG, which has them sitting 46th in the country. Overall, they have conceded 288 pts.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Razorbacks +3

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