Penn State vs SMU Prediction 12-21-24 College Football Picks

The SMU Mustangs and the Penn State Nittany Lions meet Saturday in College Football Playoff action from Beaver Stadium. Here’s a Penn State vs SMU prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Penn State vs SMU pick.

SMU Mustangs Betting Preview

The Mustangs lost to BYU 18-15 in game three this year, then hit a nine-game win streak. Those victories were over TCU, Florida State, Louisville, Stanford, Duke, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Virginia, and California. SMU fell in their next outing versus Clemson, though.

In the ACC title game versus the Tigers, SMU was down 24-7 by halftime. The Mustangs got better from there but ultimately fell in a tough one 34-31. QB Kevin Jennings threw for 304 yards, three scores, and an interception. Tops in rushing was Brashard Smith with 24 carries for 113 yards.

Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview

Over on the Penn State side, they opened the year with seven straight wins before a tough loss 20-13 versus Ohio State on November 2. The Lions would then beat Washington, Purdue, Minnesota, and Maryland before another loss to Oregon.

Matched up against the Ducks in the Big Ten Championship, the Nittany Lions faced a 38-24 deficit by the fourth quarter. Penn State made a game of it but eventually lost 45-37. Drew Allar tossed for 226 yards, three scores, and an interception. Kaytron Allen led the rushing attack on 14 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Penn State vs SMU Prediction

I’m staying with Penn State. The Nittany Lions have been great all year and really tested an excellent Oregon team in their last outing. Penn State finished with 523 yards (297 rushing) and 28 first downs in that one but did have a couple of interceptions to sour the day. The Nittany Lions have a pretty consistent offense these days; they’ve scored 35 or more points in four of the last five outings and average 35.2 points per game this year. Penn State boasts a balanced attack with 246.5 yards per game and 27 scores through the air alongside 202.2 yards per game and 28 scores rushing.

As for SMU, they were able to hang 458 yards and 28 first downs on Clemson in their ACC Championship loss, but similarly had a couple of turnovers (one pick; and one fumble). The Mustangs average 39.9 points per game themselves but on average, they rely a bit more on the pass (267.0 YPG; 27 TDs) than they do the run (176.1 YPG; 29 TDs). Saturday’s matchup is bound to be a great one to watch, but in the end, I like Penn State to stymie the Mustangs offense just enough to cover.