It is true that the Penn State Nittany Lions are never an easy team to face. But it’s a more difficult Betting on College Football task on a Saturday night on Mt Nittany. Nationally televised night games at Beaver Stadium are not for the faint of heart if you are the visiting team. But if there is a fearless program that can meet the moment, it is the Iowa Hawkeyes. Of course, Iowa is not exciting or easy on the eyes. But the Hawkeyes are tough as nails with a defense and kicking game that travels well.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions NCAAF Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, September 23, 2023, 7:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA |
| TV Coverage: | CBS |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | +14½ ( -110 ) | 41½ ( -110 ) | +475 |  |
| Penn State | -14½ ( -110 ) | 41½ ( -110 ) | -650 | |
| ||||
Iowa Hawkeyes Team Overview
Last game, the Iowa Hawkeyes won 41-10 against the Western Michigan Broncos as 28.5-point home favorites. The game went over the total of 43.5. Iowa has a record of 3-0 straight up, 2-1 against the spread, and 1-2 over/under the offshore bookmaker total. Iowa ranks 122nd for total offense, 122nd for passing, 75th for rushing, and 75th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 32nd overall, 33rd against the pass, 41st against the rush, and 19th for points allowed. Also, Iowa ranks 16th for fewest turnovers lost and 91st for takeaways.
Last week, the Hawkeyes turned in one of their better-rushing efforts. Yet it took several backs to do it. Additionally, Cade McNamara threw for two touchdowns. And freshman Kamari Moulton scored twice after halftime in his debut. All of that propelled the No. 25 Hawkeyes to beat Western Michigan. Namely, Leshon Williams rushed for a career-high 145 yards on 12 carries. The Hawkeyes pulled away in the second half. Initially, the game was delayed 42 minutes by lightning in the first quarter. Iowa, which led just 14-10 at halftime, had a season-high 387 total yards.
Overall, the Hawkeyes rushed for 254 yards, the most since a 206-yard game against Kent State in 2021. Iowa had just 200 rushing yards through the first two games. McNamara was 9 of 19 for 103 yards and two interceptions. He threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Diante Vines in the second quarter. And then a 25-yard screen pass to Williams for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Penn State Nittany Lions Team Overview
Last game, the Penn State Nittany Lions won 30-13 against the Illinois Fighting Illini as 14-point road favorites. The game went under the total of 47.5. Penn State has a record of 3-0 straight up, 3-0 against the spread, and 2-1 over/under the total. Penn State ranks 27th for total offense, 50th for passing, 23rd for rushing, and 14th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 17th overall, 22nd against the pass, 34th against the rush, and 13th for points allowed. Also, Penn State ranks 13th for fewest turnovers lost and 18th for takeaways.
Cam Miller, Abdul Carter, Daequan Dixon, and Johnny Hardy had interceptions. Correlate Penn State took advantage of five turnovers by Illinois to beat the Illini. The Nittany Lions overcame a sub-par effort by Drew Allar. To show, Allar completed just 16 of 33 passes for 208 yards and the offense. The second-year quarterback connected on 78% of his passes in his first two games.
Iowa at Penn State SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, Iowa has the kicking teams and defense to make for a strong Betting on College Football underdog value.
Iowa at Penn State SBG Best Bet: Iowa Hawkeyes.