The best offshore sports betting sites favor the Penn State Nittany Lions by seven points over the Memphis Tigers, as the spread goes for the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic on December 28, with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 p.m. EST, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas.
Memphis vs. Penn State 2019 Cotton Bowl Odds by GTBets
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | +7 (-110) | 60 (-110) | +210 |  |
| Penn State | -7 (-110) | 60 (-110) | -250 | |
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Betting Memphis Tigers
The Tigers enter the game with a 12-1 record (7-1 in conference). Also, they are 7-5-1 ATS, according to the best online sportsbooks. Memphis ranked 15th in the AP Poll. The Tigers tied with Navy for first place of the West Division of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). As a result of their win over Navy during the regular season, Memphis advanced to the AAC Championship Game.
Therein, the Tigers defeated Cincinnati, 29-24. Memphis was selected to the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked team from the Group of Five conferences. The Tigers secured that spot by winning the AAC championship.
This will be Memphis’ first Cotton Bowl Classic appearance, as well as their first New Year’s Six bowl overall. When the Tigers received their bowl invitation, head coach Mike Norvell’s status was unclear, since he had accepted an offer to become the new head coach of the Florida State Seminoles.
On December 9, Norvell announced he would not coach Memphis in the bowl. That opened the door for interim head coach Ryan Silverfield assume that responsibility. On December 13, it was announced that Silverfield was being hired as Memphis’s new head coach.
Per the best offshore sports betting sites, the Tigers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games after an ATS loss. 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games as an underdog. And 1-6 ATS in their last seven neutral site games.
“From the moment we took off, you could sense the excitement in our young men,” Silverfield said. “The hospitality here is first class. The Cotton Bowl puts on a first-class operation so we’re really excited about that. We’ve got a great opponent in Penn State. We’re excited about the challenges ahead and a fun week in Dallas.”
Betting Penn State Nittany Lions
The Lions enter the game ranked 13th in the AP Poll, with a 10-2 record (7-2 in conference). PSU also went 6-6 ATS, according to the best offshore sports betting sites. The Nittany Lions finished in second place in the Big Ten’s East Division. Penn State split their four games against ranked opponents, defeating Iowa and Michigan and losing to Minnesota and Ohio State.
The Lions were selected to the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked team not already selected to a New Year’s Six bowl. This will be PSU’s fourth Cotton Bowl Classic. The Nittany Lions have a 2-0-1 record in the game. Most recently they won the 1975 Cotton Bowl Classic over Baylor, 41-20.
Penn State is 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games. 4-0 ATS in their last four games in December. And 7-1 ATS in their last eight games after an ATS loss.
“The things that jump out to us as a defensive unit, the packaging they do, is so different,” Lions linebacker Cam Brown said of Memphis’s offense. “They put the receivers in the backfield. They’re running the running back all around, the tight ends are motioning, and they run two-tight-end packages and run the ball right at you. They have a lot going on in their offense, so it’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Memphis Tigers vs. Penn State 2019 Cotton Bowl Pick
A bowl game is one hell of a way to debut as a head coach. I predict first-day jitters will get the best of Silverfield. As a result, PSU will win and cover.
