Penn State vs Auburn Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

· Sep 14 - 5 minutes read

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had three touchdown passes and three interceptions in two games against SEC teams in 2021 so he will be looking for better results when the Nittany Lions play Auburn.

With former starting quarterback Bo Nix at Oregon, there are questions at that position. Auburn’s calling card during the early portion of the season has been the top-ranked rushing defense in the SEC.

Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions | Scott Taetsch/Getty Images/afp

Penn State (+1400) is fourth in the college football odds to win the Big Ten championship according to the college football lines. Auburn (+10000) is tied for 10th in the NCAAF odds odds to win the SEC.

The Nittany Lions (+8000) are tied for ninth in the odds to win the national title.

Penn State broke into the Top 25 in both of the national polls. The Nittany Lions are 22nd in the Associated Press poll and 23rd in the American Football Coaches Association poll.

Penn State Nittany Lions

A season ago, all four of Sean Clifford’s 300-yard passing games came from Week 4 on and history could be repeating in 2022.

He was not being asked to do much in the first few games once again. He has 495 yards with five touchdown passes and one interception. With touchdown runs in his first two games, he had already matched his total from the 2021 season.

Mitchell Tinsley is the top receiver with 111 yards on 10 catches while freshman running back Nicholas Singleton leads the team with 210 rushing yards as he is averaging 10.5 yards per carry.

What a day for @NickSingletonn 👌 pic.twitter.com/T0RRUbi9cR

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) September 11, 2022

Linebacker Curtis Jacobs (11 tackles) and Ji’Avir Brown (10 tackles) lead the defense. Johnny Dixon has two of the Nittany Lions’ three sacks. This is the third of five straight games on the Penn State football schedule against unranked teams.

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Auburn Tigers

T.J. Finley is off to a slow start with 279 passing yards, one touchdown pass, and three interceptions in the first two games. Freshman Robby Ashford also has an interception. However, he has run for 129 yards, which is second only to Tank Bigsby’s 199 yards.

The Auburn Tigers have eight scoring runs in the first two games. Jarquez Hunter had scored on four of his 16 rushing attempts.

Ja’Varrius Johnson leads Auburn with 158 yards on seven catches.

Linebacker Cam Riley came into the season with 23 career tackles. He already has 21 stops in the first two games.

Penn State vs Auburn Injury Report

When looking at the NCAA injury list, Penn State tight ends Theo Johnson and Jerry Cross as well as defensive ends Coziah Izzard and Smith Vilbert are questionable. Linebacker Zuriah Fisher is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Auburn receiver Malcolm Johnson is probable, defensive end Zykeivous Walker (knee) is questionable and offensive lineman Nick Brahms is out for the season.

Penn State vs Auburn Head-to-Head

Penn State Nittany Lions won last year’s game 28-20 as the four-point favorite at home as Clifford threw for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tight end Benton Strange had four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

That was the first meeting between the teams since a 13-9 win by Auburn in the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2003.

Penn State has lost six of its last seven games against SEC competition with the lone win coming against Auburn.

Auburn has lost its last three games to Big Ten teams and that included losses in bowl games to Northwestern and Minnesota.

Penn State vs Auburn Game Information

Game: Penn State 2-0 vs Auburn 1-0
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Day/Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Penn State vs Auburn Live Stream: ESPN

Penn State vs Auburn Betting Lines

Team	Point Spread	Over/Under
Penn State	-3 (-110)	47½ (-110o)
Auburn	+3 (-110)	47½ (-110u)

Penn State vs Auburn Prediction

Penn State is 11th in the Big Ten in total defense and that is a drop-off from last year’s results when the Nittany Lions were third, allowing just 4.76 yards per play. Auburn is in the middle of the pack in most defensive categories.

With Nix at Oregon, Auburn is clearly not as experienced at quarterback as Penn State and that could play a role in the outcome. This is the first time Auburn is an underdog at home against a non-conference team since a 2016 matchup with Clemson.

Auburn is minus four in turnover margin and that is a concern.

Penn State has covered 13 of its last 19 games. The total has gone under in 12 of the Nittany Lions last 16 road games.

Auburn has covered in just one of its last seven games and in one of the last five against Big Ten teams.

BET THIS PICK: Penn State -3 (-110)

“The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”