The Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) tonight (October 22), looking to snap their two-game losing streak.
The Golden Gophers are the 4.5-point favorites after losing to Illinois 26-14. The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, are seven-point underdogs after losing to Michigan 41-17. In their last ten meetings, Minnesota and Penn State were tied.
Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Betting Odds
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Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Match Details
Fixture: Minnesota at Penn State
Date and Time: Saturday, October 22; 7:30 pm ET
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions History
Since 1993, the Nittany Lions have had a 9-6 overall record against the Golden Gophers. On September 4, 1993, Penn State beat Minnesota 38-20 at Beaver Stadium.
Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Key Stats
Minnesota scores 34.5 points per game on average. They run for 227.8 yards per game while passing for 214.8. Before getting injured, Tanner Morgan completed 33 percent of his passes for 21 yards and one interception. For this game, his status is classified as doubtful.
In place of Morgan, Athan Kaliakmanis completed 33 percent of his passes for 17 yards and two interceptions. Brevyn Spann-Ford had four receptions for 32 yards, while Mohamed Ibrahim had 15 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions' five-game winning streak was snapped by the Wolverines. They will look to return to winning ways against the Golden Gophers, which would be their sixth victory in their previous seven contests to qualify them for the bowl. Penn State scores 31.5 points per contest on average.
They run for 147 yards per game while passing for 235.3. In their defeat versus the Wolverines, Sean Clifford completed 120 yards on 37 percent of his throws. Harrison Wallace III had two receptions for 57 yards, but he also led the team in rushing with six carries for 74 yards.
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Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Best Picks and Prediction
Expect Ibrahim and the Gophers running backs to have a big day on the ground after Penn State's run defense was exposed in their most recent game. There, the Wolverines rushed for more than 400 yards while averaging more than seven yards per carry.
The Golden Gophers have done a wonderful job defending the pass and have the fifth-best pass defense in the nation, so the Nittany Lions won't gain many yards via the air as they don't throw the ball as well as they run it.
Expect them to struggle to stay up with Minnesota, despite the fact that they have improved at rushing the ball. The Golden Gophers have the 28th-best run defense in the nation, so they won't have many open holes to exploit.
Pick: Mohamed Ibrahim Over 120.5 Rush Yards (-115)
Prediction: Minnesota +4.5 (-105)
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