Categories
Gambling NCAA Football

Nittany Lions vs. Trojans Betting Trends + Rose Bowl Pick

In 2009 Rose Bowl betting action the Penn St. Nittany Lions travel west to play the USC Trojans, we preview and pick this 2009 BCS bowl game matchup…

Rose Bowl Free Pick – No. 6 Penn State versus No. 4 USC

The Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1 SU, 7-3-1 ATS, 7-4 O/U) have won two consecutive games in emphatic fashion since getting surprised by Iowa back on Nov. 8. The Southern California Trojans (11-1 SU, 6-6 ATS, 3-8-1 O/U) have ripped off nine straight wins in the BetUS Sportsbook and are playing their best football of the season at the right time despite not covering the spread for backers in three of their last four.  

On New Year’s Day, one of these fantastic 11-1 teams will see their season end on a sour note when the legendary football powerhouses square off at Rose Bowl Stadium in the 2009 Rose Bowl.

The Nittany Lions are coming off a resounding 49-18 win over Michigan State on Nov. 22, covering the spread for NCAA college football sports betting backers as a 16.5-point home favorite.

Quarterback Darryll Clark completed 16 of 26 passes for a whopping 341 yards and four touchdowns, hooking up with wide receiver Deon Butler three times for 133 yards and three scores.

“We reached one goal, now we just need to go on the road and win a bowl game,” tailback Evan Royster said.

Penn State will take on a USC team that is coming off a solid 28-7 spanking of UCLA on Saturday, covering the spread for backers as an 11-point road favorite.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez completed 18 of 33 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns while running back Joe McKnight added 99 rushing yards and one touchdown n 15 carries.

“To beat our rival team in their house, it feels awesome,” said Sanchez. “I’m definitely going to have fun tonight, celebrating with friends and family. It’s just unfortunate that we won’t be in the national championship game.”

The win gave the Trojans a record, seventh straight BCS bid, seven consecutive 11-win seasons and seven straight Pac-10 conference championships. USC will make a fourth consecutive appearance in the Rose Bowl game.

“We did a good job,” USC linebacker Brian Cushing said. “It’s great to be Pac-10 champs again. It upsets me a little that two one-loss teams will go to the BCS championship game and we’ll be left out. But we will just have to see what happens.”

Here is a look at the key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NCAAF Free Pick:

The Nittany Lions are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
The Nittany Lions are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
The Trojans are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 vs. Big Ten.
The Trojans are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following an ATS loss.
The Under is 4-0 in Nittany Lions last 4 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
The Over is 4-0 in Trojans last 4 neutral site games.

NCAAF Odds

Penn State Nittany Lions +10 -110
USC Trojans -10 -110

Over 45 -110
Under 45 -110

Analysis: Being a Penn State grad, I’m partial to anything the Nittany lions do. However, as one of the nation’s best handicappers, I can’t, in good conscience, advise college football bettors to take the Nittany Lions as I fully believe the USC Trojans are going to win and cover the spread in this matchup.

The fact of the matter is that the Trojans are playing as well as any team in the nation right now and have too much firepower on offense to be contained, even by a really good Penn State defense.

Defensively, I expect the Trojans to give Darryll Clark problems as well. Take the Trojans to win and cover NCAA college football sports betting enthusiasts.

NCAAF Free Picks: USC -10 Points/Over 45 Total Points