Nittany Lions vs Cornhuskers NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The 16th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers are coming off a hard-fought win against the Michigan State Spartans, and while a win this week won’t earn them a division title just yet, it will help them get one giant leap closer to claiming a spot in the Big Ten championship game.
Penn State Nittany Lions (6-3) vs No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2)
Saturday November 10, 2012
Memorial Stadium, LINCOLN, NEB.
3:30 PM ET
Moneyline: Nebraska -270 , Penn State +230 from Bovada
Spread: Nebraska -7
O/U: 53.5
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Penn State is ineligible for a title this year, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play spoiler to a team with postseason aspirations.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions have exceeded the expectations of some this season. Two tough losses to begin the year are distant memories for fans of the program, and while the team dropped a tough on against Ohio State two games back, they responded nicely with a 34-9 victory against Purdue.
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Penn State can play spoiler as the season winds down to both the Nebraska Cornhuskers this weekend as well as the Wisconsin Badgers in the final game of the year. They have a talented team this season, and having won six of their last seven games, nobody should be looking past them at this point.
Penn State has a top-25 rushing defense this season, which is going to be something they must put on display if they hope to take down the Cornhuskers. Nebraska has been running the ball all over their opponents this season, and the Nittany Lions have to be ready for their attack, which comes primarily from the two-headed monster of quarterback Taylor Martinez and running back Ameer Abdullah.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
With Penn State, Minnesota and Iowa left of Nebraska’s schedule, this week’s game against the Nittany Lions will be the toughest contest left in the regular season. That’s good news for the No. 16 team in the nation, but it means they must win this game before they can really start thinking about a conference championship appearance. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
This game is set to feature the two quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes in the entire conference. Matthew McGloin (Penn State) and Taylor Martinez (Nebraska) each have 18 touchdown passes on the year. Martinez is the more versatile quarterback, as he can take off and run at any time, so give him the edge there. McGloin, on the other hand, has thrown for more yards and less interceptions, so he deserves the nod there. So where will this game come down to? Passing defense.
Two top-notch quarterbacks are going to be facing off in this game, but only one defense has become known for their ability to stop the pass—the Cornhuskers. Nebraska allows just 156 yards per game through the air, which is good enough for fifth in the country. Penn State has been a middle-of-the-road team in that department, as they’ve allowed more than 2012 yards per contest.
Nebraska should have the edge come Saturday, and if they can limit the Nittany Lions to the ground game, where they are just 87th in the nation this season, the Cornhuskers should leave the game with conference championship aspirations higher than ever.
Trends
Cornhuskers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games.
Cornhuskers are 20-4-1 ATS in their last 25 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Over is 4-0 in Nittany Lions last 4 games following a S.U. win.
Over is 4-0 in Nittany Lions last 4 games following a ATS win.
Over is 5-1 in Nittany Lions last 6 conference games.
Over is 4-1 in Cornhuskers last 5 games following a S.U. win.
O/U Pick: Over 53.5
Score Prediction: Nebraska 31 – Penn State 24
