Penn State (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) is 13-3 straight up in its last 16 home games. The Nittany Lions’ dominance at home makes it a no-brainer to make them solid favorites at Beaver Stadium against an Auburn team (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) that has yet to play a Power Five school.
- Date/Time: September 18, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Beaver Stadium
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Penn State -6.5 | O/U 52.5 (Line History)
- Auburn vs Penn State Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Nittany Lions have won their last five games by an average of 20.6 points, including a road win over then No. 12 Wisconsin. The oddsmakers have clearly baked Auburn’s early dominance into the spread, but Penn State has covered the last three home games with bigger spreads than the Sportsbook 6.5.
Auburn News & Notes
Auburn has faced less than stellar competition in the first two weeks , but even with that, the Tigers didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. Auburn opened as a 37.5-point favorite against Akron and started fast, Sportsbook a massive 37-point lead by halftime. Quarterback Bo Nix had just two incompletions for the entire game and fired three touchdown passes.
The Tigers got off to a slower start in their second contest, going into the half up just 20 points against Alabama State. A 49.5-point spread had Auburn bettors feeling uneasy, but Auburn dominated after the break, outscoring the Hornets by 35 points in the third quarter on the way to 364 team rushing yards.
Despite the slow start, coach Bryan Harsin loved his running game, telling AL.com: “All those guys were getting opportunities to carry the ball, and that’s part of making sure that as we put a team together, you’ve got to have depth on your team.” That run game will be critical for the Tigers going forward.
Penn State News & Notes
If you expected a letdown from Penn State following a huge win over Wisconsin, you were heavily disappointed. The Nittany Lions dominated early and often, Sportsbook up a 24-6 halftime lead and keeping Ball State out of the end zone in the first half.
James Franklin’s team widened its lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Cardinals 10-0. Franklin was especially proud of Jesse Luketa, who came through with the one Penn State touchdown in the third quarter on a pick-six, telling 24/7.com: “He’s impacting at defensive end and he’s impacting at linebacker, and his first career interception returned for a touchdown. So that was big-time.”
The offense was very balanced, churning out 253 passing yards and 240 rushing yards, giving the Nittany Lions fans and coaches a fantastic blueprint on how to attack going forward.
Staff Betting Pick: Nittany Lions -6.5
Penn State has proven to be able to handle big games and Auburn’s lack of experience this year against solid competition, combined with Penn State’s hot streak, makes this an easy call at this number.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- Penn State is 6-0 ATS in its last 6 games.
- Auburn is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 Big Ten games.
- The UNDER is 6-3 in Penn State’s last 9 games.
