Free NCAAF Spread Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions, 10–27–2018
Free College Football Spread Pick by Kris Saint of King Sports Picks
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions
Saturday, October 27th, 3:30 PM EST
Line: Penn State +6.5, 52
The 18th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Happy Valley to take on the 16th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in a Big 10 matchup on Saturday at 3:30 pm. Penn State squeezed out a win on the road last season in Iowa, 21–19 but failed to cover the -13 point spread. Saturday’s matchup pegs the Lions as -6.5 home favorites over the Hawkeyes. Penn State has covered the spread in three of their last four games vs Iowa.
Iowa has one loss on the season to Wisconsin but they have since rattled of three-straight wins heading into Week 9. The Hawkeyes handled Maryland last week, 23–0 as -9.5 point home favorites. QB Kyle Stanley (1559 YDS, 16 TDs, 6 INTs) has been solid this season leading the offense to 232 passing yards per game and 30.6 PPG. But it’s been the defense that has been rock solid all season, allowing 258 total yards per game (3rd), 79.6 rushing yards per game (3rd) and a measly 14 PPG (5th).
Penn State quarterback, Trace McSorley (1462 YDS, 11 TDs, 3 INTs) may try to stretch the field vs this Iowa secondary. Iowa’s defense is stout but if there is a weakness, it’s their secondary. The Lions may find some resistance in their rushing attack with one of the best defensive lines in football, so the passing game will be vital for this Lions offense to find a balanced attack. Penn State is 9th in the nation in scoring offense as they put up 42.9 points per game and stand 36th in the nation in scoring defense as they allow 22 points per contest.
Penn State has lost two close games to Ohio State and Michigan State by a total of 5 points and the Lions should have won both games. You have to wonder how this team will handle the pressure from Iowa’s defensive front which is the best unit they will face this season. Trace McSorley hasn’t been too successful airing it out this season and he’ll need to be accurate on Saturday to keep the chains moving. Iowa should be able to control the tempo on both sides of the ball and Stanley has a strong arm that could exploit this Penn State secondary. I think +6.5 points is too many to give up to a team with a defense that travels. I expect Iowa to cover the +6.5 point spread on the road in a close conference game. Consider the Hawkeyes live dogs in this matchup.
Iowa vs Penn State Pick: Iowa Hawkeyes +6.5
