Penn State vs Auburn Opening Odds – Nittany Lions 3-Point Favorites Over Tigers in Week 3
By Blair Johnson in College Football
Updated: March 7, 2023 at 3:32 pm ESTPublished:
- No. 22 Penn State travels to Auburn in Week 3 on Saturday, September 17th
- The Nittany Lions have opened the week as a 3-point favorite over the Tigers on the Plains
- Read below for the opening Penn State vs Auburn odds and projected line movement
The back-end of a home-and-home series between a pair of national championship-winning programs is set for Saturday as No. 22 Penn State and Auburn face off in Week 3 of the 2022 College Football season on Saturday, September 17th.
Last season, the Nits beat an SEC opponent at home for the first time since 1985 against Alabama when James Franklin’s program knocked off War Eagle in State College 28-20.
Below, see the opening odds plus analysis on how the line is likely to move.
Penn State vs Auburn Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Nittany Lions | -3 (-110) | TBD | TBD |
| Auburn Tigers | +3 (-110) | TBD | TBD |
Odds on September 11th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Get the available DraftKings promo code.Â
Penn State has opened as a 3-point road favorite against Auburn with the moneyline and game total still off the board in the Week 3 NCAAF odds.
Diversity in Penn State Offense?
The Nittany Lions have featured one of the more one-dimensional offenses in college football since James Franklin took over in 2014. That was on full display last season when Penn State failed to have a rusher account for at least 100 yards on the ground in any game. But thanks to freshman Nick Singleton, times may be changing in Happy Valley.
Penn State has a star in Nick Singleton pic.twitter.com/vitDjOFSQk
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 10, 2022
Singleton went for 179 yards on just ten carries in a 46-10 demotion of Ohio in Week 2 at Beaver Stadium — a display that should provide plenty of optimism for offensive diversity. Overall, the team averaged 6.9 yards per carry. That’s more than double than what they did last season. Meantime, sixth-year Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford went 19-for-27 for 213 yards, ran for a score and threw for another as the Nittany Lions scored on three of their first five possessions against the Bobcats. Freshman quarterback Drew Allar also offered a glimpse into the future, going 6-for-8 for 88 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in the second half.
If Penn State can continue this encouraging trend of diversity on its offense, the Nittany Lions should have have no problem in making things competitive against the Tigers. Their national championship odds have held steady at +10000 since the start of the season.
War Eagle Wings Clipped?
After trailing 10-7 at halftime to big underdog San Jose State at home on Saturday, Auburn used a trio of second half scores — including touchdowns by Tank Bigsby and TJ Finley — to hold off the upset-minded Spartans and win 24-16. It may not have been pretty, but at least it was a victory (unlike others in the SEC). Bigsby, who has 198 rushing yards and three TDs through two games, is sitting at +10000 in the Heisman odds. He currently has the best odds of any player in this game.
After an uncomfortably close win over San José State, 24-16, Auburn fans aren't too hot about hosting Penn State next week… also, nachos! pic.twitter.com/OaQ7mSEX55
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 11, 2022
Auburn used two quarterbacks throughout — junior Finley and freshman Robby Ashford — producing inconsistent results, with each tossing an interception.
The 6-foot-7 Finley was the primary thrower, completing 13-of-20 passes for 167 yards. Meantime, Ashford did his damage on the ground — including one run for a 30-yard gain and 61 total yards rushing.
Defensively, after just one sack in the season opener, the Tigers brought down Chevan Cordeiro three times and accounted for six tackles for loss on the night. Defensive lineman Marcus Harris was a beast, setting a career-high with three TFLs.
One potential issue against Penn State though could penalties. Auburn had nine against San Jose State, tying the second-highest total in the Bryan Harsin Era. Seven were on offense, negating 29 yards. This group will have to clean things up if it wants to move to 3-0 on the season.
Penn State vs Auburn Expected Line MovementÂ
Since this game is at Jordan-Hare, I don’t expect the line to move too much. But if it sways in any direction, I could definitely see things moving to the visitor’s side even more. Penn State is now ranked and Auburn’s sluggish play from the quarterback position.
Auburn quarterbacks have now attempted 28 throws this season.
Four interceptions. That's 14.3%.
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) September 11, 2022
Franklin knows how to win big games on the road in SEC country. But Saturday’s environment will be a tough one to overcome.
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Sports Writer
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
