It is a matchup of Top 15 teams in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday, December 30 on ESPN, as the Washington Huskies face the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Huskies are ranked No. 11 and come into this game at 10-2 SU and 7-5 ATS, while Penn State is ranked No. 9 and comes into the game at 10-2 and 7-4-1 ATS at offshore sportsbooks. Both teams feature top running backs, as Washington has Myles Gaskin who rushed for 1,282 yards and 19 TDs, while Penn State has Saquon Barkley who had 2,154 all-purpose yards and 21 TDS.
Washington vs. Penn State
The Nittany Lions could easily have finished unbeaten and made the College Football Playoffs but it didn’t happen. Penn State was excellent this season, as they finished 7th in the country in points per game at just over 41 per contest, while they gave up just over 15 points per game, also 7th in the country. The Nittany Lions will be without offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead who left to take the head job at Mississippi State. Taking over will be quarterback coach Ricky Rahne. The Nittany Lions are going to score even with Rahne calling the plays. They have a dynamic running back in Barkley and a solid quarterback in Trace McSorley who threw for 3,228 yards and 26 TDs this season. He is the first Penn State player with multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.
Penn State head coach James Franklin said that playing in the Fiesta Bowl is a great opportunity for his team. “We couldn’t be more excited. We’re blessed for this opportunity. A great way to end the season,” Franklin said to the media. “You’re playing in a big time bowl game, a great venue, but you’re also having to face a challenging and difficult opponent.”
The Huskies are averaging about 37 points per game, while giving up just over 14 per contest. This will be the eighth straight bowl game for the Huskies. Washington is led by quarterback Jake Browning who threw for just over 2,500 yards this season. He has a great weapon at receiver in Dante Pettis who is the NCAA’s all-time leader with nine punt returns for touchdowns and Washington’s leading receiver with 62 catches for seven TDs.
This game could come down to whether or not Washington can stop the run. The Nittany Lions have Barkley but the Huskies have defensive tackle Vita Vea who was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Washington was fifth in the country against the run this season, allowing just 92.3 yards per game.
Fiesta Bowl Odds at Offshore Gambling Sites
Penn State -2, Total 55
Game Trends
The Huskies are 6-1 ATS at offshore sportsbooks vs. a team with a winning record. The Huskies are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in December. The Huskies are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. The Nittany Lions are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games. The Nittany Lions are 16-4-2 ATS in their last 22 games overall.
The Under is 5-1 at offshore sportsbooks in the Huskies last 6 neutral site games. The Over is 5-1 in the Nittany Lions last 6 games overall. The Over is 4-1 in the Nittany Lions last 5 vs. the Pac-12.
Fiesta Bowl Picks
This should be a close game that goes down to the wire and one that should feature stout defensive play, so we’ll take the under.
