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It is the first of the College Football Playoff quarter-finals as Penn State faces Boise State. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Penn State-Boise State prediction and pick.
Penn State-Boise State Last Game – Matchup History
Penn State was 12-2 on the year. They started 6-0 before a seven-point loss to Ohio State. After finishing the regular season 11-1, they made it to the Big Ten title game, where they fell to Oregon 45-37. They would face SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Penn State dominated the game, winning the game 38-10. Meanwhile, Boise State is 12-1 on the year. After a loss in the second game of the year to Oregon by three points, they have won 11 straight. Their last game was the Mountain West Championship game, where they took a 21-7 victory over UNLV.
Overall Series: these two teams have not faced before. This will be the eighth time Penn State has been in this game, and they are 7-0 at the Fiesta Bowl. Meanwhile, Boise State is playing in the Fiesta Bowl for the fourth time, going 3-0 prior to this.
Here are the Penn State-Boise State College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Penn State-Boise State Odds
Penn State: -10.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -430
Boise State: +10.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +330
Over: 52.5 (-115)
Under: 52.5 (-105)
How to Watch Penn State vs. Boise State
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Penn State Could Cover The Spread/Win
Drew Allar has led the way for the Penn State offense this year. He has completed 237 of 346 passes this year for 3,021 yards. He has 21 touchdown passes this year while throwing seven interceptions. Allar has been sacked just 14 times this year as well. Allar has run pretty well with 289 rushing yards and six scores.
Tyler Warren, who received Heisman votes, has been the primary target in the receiving game. Warren has 92 receptions this year for 1,095 yards. He has also scored six touchdowns. Harrison Wallace III has also been solid this year. He has 43 receptions for 686 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Still, major production on this team comes from the backfield. Kaytron Allen has run 184 times for 892 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also brought in 147 yards receiving and two scores. Nicholas Singleton has run for 928 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has brought in 39 receptions for 342 yards and four touchdowns.
The Penn State defense has been great this year. They are fifth in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting fourth in opponent yards per game. They are sixth against the rush while sitting 11th against the pass this year. Abdul Carter has led the way. He is fourth on the team in tackles this year while having 11 sacks, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
Why Boise State Could Cover The Spread/Win
Maddux Madsen has led the way for Boise State at quarterback. He has completed 224 of 361 passes for 2,714 yards and 22 touchdowns. Furthermore, he has been intercepted just three times while being sacked ten times. Madsen also has five rushing touchdowns this year. His top target has been Cameron Camper. Camper comes in with 55 receptions for 837 yards and four scores. Further, tight end Matt Lauter has been solid. He has 43 receptions for 523 yards and six scores as well. Finally, Latrell Caples has 34 receptions for 443 yards and has scored five times this year.
Still, the focus of the Boise State offense is Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty comes into the game with 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. That is good for 7.3 yards per carry, while he has scored, on average 2.23 touchdowns per game on the ground this year. Jeanty also has 116 yards receiving and a receiving touchdown.
Boise State is 35th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 59th in opponent yards per game this year. They are 14th against the run while sitting 113th against the pass. Still, Boise State is third in the nation in sack rate this year. Jayden Virgin-Morgan comes into the game with ten sacks, while also having a fumble recovery this year. Meanwhile, Ahmed Hassanien has 8.5 sacks while Seyi Oladipo has 5.5 sacks. Further, A'Marion McCoy has 13 pass breakups and an interception.
Final Penn State-Boise State Prediction & Pick
Transitive properties suggest a Boise State victory. Boise State has just one loss this year, and that was to Oregon by three. Meanwhile, Penn State lost to Oregon by 12 in the Big Ten Title game. Still, Boise State lost in week two, and Oregon has been much better since then. The Boise State offense has been great, sitting fourth in the nation in points per game, and sixth in the nation in the run. Boise State should be able to keep this on the ground and keep it close in this one.
Final Penn State-Boise State Prediction & Pick: Boise State +10.5 (-105)
