Penn State Nittany Lions vs Boise State Broncos Prediction, 12/31/2024 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Boise State Broncos

Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Broncos (+11.0)

Total/Over-Under: 52.5

The Boise State Broncos (12-1) will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-2) at State Farm Stadium on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 in the CFP Quarterfinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Boise State opens this matchup as 11.0-point underdogs. The total comes in at 52.5.

The Penn State Nittany Lions head into this game 12-2 for this season. In their last contest, the Nittany Lions played the SMU Mustangs and walked away with a win by a score of 38-10. When it came to stopping the run, the Nittany Lions gave up 58 yds on 36 tries, which is an average of 1.6 yds per run allowed. Penn State allowed 20 completions on 37 attempts for a total of 195 yards, and a completion rate of 54.1%. In the game, they ran 65 plays which totaled 325 yards. The Penn State Nittany Lions ran the ball 40 times and totaled 189 yards, which came out to an average of 4.7 yards per attempt.

The Nittany Lions have earned 6,157 total yards over the course of this year. When it comes to notching touchdowns, Penn State has earned 27 touchdowns via the pass and 31 rushing touchdowns. They have turned the football over 13 times. Penn State has compiled 326 first downs offensively, and they have been flagged for 70 infractions for 662 yds. As a unit they're averaging 201.2 yards on the ground which ranks them 19th in the nation. When talking about scoring, the Penn State Nittany Lions have an average of 33.9 points per contest.

The Nittany Lions rank 6th in college football in terms of team defense, allowing 15.9 PPG. They are allowing an average of 3.1 yards per rush and 100.4 rushing yards per game for the year. For the year, they have given up 1,406 rushing yards through 14 games. When talking about passing yardage, the Nittany Lions are allowing 2,514 yds which puts them in 47th in the nation. They are allowing 179.6 yards per game through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 58.9%. In total, they are conceding 280.0 yards per outing which puts them 4th in the nation. They have yielded 15 touchdowns by air and 7 touchdowns running the ball.

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The Broncos head into this game 12-1 for this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Broncos got the victory with a final of 21-7 against the UNLV Rebels. Boise State surrendered 35 rushing attempts for 217 yards (6.2 yds per carry). The Broncos pass defense gave up a completion rate of 46.4%, relinquishing 110 yds on 13 out of 28 through the air. The Broncos ended up finishing with 373 yds while they ran 64 plays (5.8 yds per play). Boise State ran for 5.8 yards per attempt, totaling 215 yds on 37 attempts.

The Boise State Broncos have an average of 470.2 yards per contest, ranking them 6th in the nation. The Boise State offense has accrued 556 yds of penalties on 62 infractions, which ranks 109th in the nation in terms of making mistakes. They hold an average of 250.5 yards per game on the ground and have toted the ball for 3,257 yards for this year. They have tossed 4 interceptions while conceding 4 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 304 first downs. Concerning the points being put on the board, the Broncos are ranking 3rd in D-1 scoring 39.1 points per outing. For the season thus far, the Broncos have thrown for 2,855 yards through the air in addition to holding an average of 219.6 passing yards per game, giving them a rank of 78th in D-1.

The Broncos are allowing 21.9 PPG, ranking them 35th in Division 1. Boise State has surrendered a total of 1,496 rushing yards (115.1 yards/game) in addition to 14 touchdowns via the rush for the season. Overall, they have relinquished 285 total points. They have allowed the opposition 21 touchdowns via the pass as well as 246.8 yards/game, which puts them in 110th in college football. The Broncos defense has taken the field for 839 plays, which ranks 86th in the country. They have tallied 8 fumbles recovered and 7 interceptions for the year.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Nittany Lions -11.0

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