The Nittany Lions will try to pay off for their supporters on Saturday when they play host to the Knights at Beaver Stadium in Week 3 action.

This season the Nittany Lions are 2-0 overall and 1-1 ATS against the number, while the Knights are 2-0 and 2-0 ATS. As for the totals, Penn State is 1-1 on the OU, and Central Florida is 0-2.



View Central Florida vs Penn State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: The visitors opened as 3.5-point underdogs in this one at Sportsbook and most sportsbooks tracked here at OddsShark. No total had been posted as of press time check the live lines pages in the coming days to see where the number opened.

Power Rankings / Prediction: The Power Rankings at OddsShark have the No. 15-rated Knights taking on the No. 50-rated Nittany Lions in this contest. Handicapping models indicate a 56-44 win for the Knights on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Penn State's No. 53-ranked offense (34 PPG) against a Knights defense that ranks No. 4 at 3.5 PPG. The Nittany Lions passing attack has averaged 309.5 yards per game, more than the Knights give up through the air (129 YPG on average).

Defensively, the Knights feature the league's No. 3-rated road run defense, allowing 31 yards per game. Penn State, meanwhile, ranks No. 37 in rushing offense at home.

Central Florida won its last outing, a 38-0 result against Florida International on September 6. Central Florida covered in that game as a 25-point favorite, while the 38 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Last time out, Florida International could not slow down Rannell Hall, who managed 127 receiving yards in the Knights 38-0 victory over the Golden Panthers Friday.

In their last action, Penn State was a 45-7 Sportsbook at home against Eastern Michigan. They covered the 28-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (52) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Christian Hackenberg throttled the Eagles defense in his team's most recent action, throwing for 311 yards as Penn State handed Eastern Michigan a 45-7 defeat.


Central Florida Knights Trends:
When playing in September are 5-5
When playing on grass are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the conference are 6-4

Penn State Nittany Lions Trends:
When playing in September are 7-3
When playing on grass are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When playing outside the conference are 6-4

A few Knights at Nittany Lions trends to consider:
Central Florida is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Central Florida's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Central Florida's last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Central Florida's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Penn State's last 5 games at home
Penn State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Penn State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Penn State's last 5 games


Next up:
Central Florida home to South Carolina, Saturday, September 28
Penn State home to Kent State, Saturday, September 21