Boise State Broncos vs Penn State Nittany Lions Matchup

Check out our free Penn State Nittany Lions vs Boise State Broncos pick and preview for this CFB College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl game in Glendale. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl CFB matchup.

At 7:30 ET, Penn State and Boise State will face off at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, with ESPN handling the television broadcast. Penn State is the -10.5-point favorite in this College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. The over/under line is currently 52 points. Penn State comes in with a 12-2 record, while Boise State is 12-1 on the season. The money line odds are -437 for Penn State and +329 for Boise State.

Nittany Lions vs. Broncos Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Penn State Nittany Lions at Boise State Broncos
Where: Glendale at State Farm Stadium
Date: Tuesday, December 31st
Betting Odds PENNST -10.5, PENNST -437 | BOISE +329 O/U 52

Nittany Lions Preview:

Penn State enters the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl with a 12-2 record, facing Boise State in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal. The Nittany Lions are 7-1 at home and 4-1 on the road this season. They’ve been favored in 11 of their 14 games, going 11-0 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +18 points per game, and they hold a 7-6 record against the spread.

This week’s over/under line is set at 52 points. Penn State’s games have averaged an over/under line of 49.9 points, with their over/under record at 5-8. They’ve had one game with a higher line than this week’s total and six games with more than 52 points scored.

Penn State is 7-4 against the spread as the favorite and 0-2 as the underdog. At home, they are 4-3 ATS when favored, while on the road, they’ve gone 3-1 ATS as the favorite.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

Penn State’s offense ranks 5th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1. They are also 21st in scoring, with 33.9 points per game. Their ground game is their strength, averaging 202.6 rushing yards per game on 37.6 attempts, both 11th nationally.

Nicholas Singleton leads the rushing attack with 928 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry, and has scored 8 touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Allar has thrown for 3,021 yards and 21 touchdowns, with a passer rating of 107.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Penn State's defense has been impressive this season, ranking 13th nationally by allowing just 15.9 points per game. In their recent game, they gave up only 10 points and forced three interceptions. SMU managed 253 total yards, including just 58 rushing yards on 36 attempts.

Opponents are averaging 102.7 rushing yards per game against Penn State, which ranks 13th in the nation. Through the air, quarterbacks have a 74.9 passer rating and are averaging 179.6 passing yards per game, completing 57.9% of their throws.

Broncos Preview:

Penn State is 7-4 against the spread as the favorite and 0-2 as the underdog. At home, they are 4-3 ATS when favored, while on the road, they’ve gone 3-1 ATS as the favorite.

Broncos Offense Breakdown

Boise State’s offense has been dominant on the ground, ranking 4th in the nation with 252.6 rushing yards per game. They are 3rd in scoring, putting up 39.1 points per game, and they are 6th in third-down conversions, converting 49.1% of their attempts. We have them ranked 10th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1.

Ashton Jeanty leads the rushing attack with 2,497 yards, 29 touchdowns, and an average of 7 yards per carry. Quarterback Maddux Madsen has thrown for 2,714 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, with a passer rating of 101. Cameron Camper has 837 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.

Broncos Team Defense

Boise State's defense put together a strong performance in their recent game against UNLV, allowing just seven points. They limited the Rebels to 12 first downs and 293 total yards, including 145 rushing yards on 38 attempts. Through the air, Boise State gave up 148 yards but held UNLV to just six completions.

On the season, Boise State is ranked 35th nationally, giving up 21.9 points per game. They’ve allowed 115.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 29th in the country. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a 93.7 passer rating and averaged 246.8 passing yards per game against Boise State’s defense.

Nittany Lions vs Broncos Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their five previous road games, Penn State has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-1 while averaging 34 points per game.
Through their last ten home games, Boise State has an ATS record of just 5-4-1. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 35 points per game.
In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Boise State Broncos have a straight up record of 0-3 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.