Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0) vs. Temple Owls (1-0)
September 12, 2026 12:00 pm EDT
The Line: Temple Owls 24.5 / Penn State Nittany Lions -24.5; Over/Under: 50.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article we will formulate a Temple vs Penn State prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, September 12th at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this Week 2 matchup.
Temple Owls Betting Preview
The Temple Owls are 1-0 this year after they defeated Rhode Island by a score of 38-14 in week one. Temple led 24-14 at halftime and they pitched a shutout in the second half in the win. The Owls out gained URI by a total of 369-292, went 3-12 on third downs, and won the turnover battle by a total of 3-1 in the game. Ajani Sheppard threw for 85 yards, while Colin Chase caught three passes for 43 yards. Keveun Mason rushed 20 times for 158 yards and two scores in the win.
Last year, Temple went 5-7 (3-5) and they finished tied for ninth in the American standings. The Owls started the season with a 42-10 win over UMass and beat Howard 55-7 in their second game. Temple was 5-3 through eight games, but they lost four in a row to finish the year. The Owls scored 27.8 points per game in 2025, while they allowed 29.7 points against per game on defense.
Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
The Penn State Nittany Lions are 1-0 this season after they defeated Marshall by a score of 45-0 in their first game. Penn State led 24-0 at halftime and they added 14 points in the third + seven points in the fourth in the easy win. The Nittany Lions out gained Marshall by a total of 487-147, went 8-16 on third downs, and won the turnover battle by a total of 2-0 in the game. Rocco Becht threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns, while Koby Howard caught six passes for 161 yards and one touchdown. Carson Hansen rushed 11 times for 48 yards in the win.
Last season, Penn State went 7-6 (3-6) and they finished tied for 12th in the Big Ten standings. The Nittany Lions started the year with a 46-11 win over Nevada and defeated FIU 34-0 in week two. Penn State was 3-0 to start the year, but they lost six in a row, before winning four straight to end the year. During that last winning streak, they defeated Clemson 22-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Why the Temple Owls will win
- The home team has won each of the last four games between Penn State and Temple.
- Temple has covered the spread in seven of its last eight games against non-conference opponents.
- Penn State has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight games against teams from Pennsylvania.
- The team ranked 16th in the AP Poll has lost the first half in four of its last five games.
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win
- Penn State has won each of its last 28 September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Temple has lost each of its last 12 games against AP-ranked teams.
- Penn State has covered the spread in each of its last eight road games in September.
- Temple has failed to cover the spread in each of its last six home games against AP-ranked teams.
- Temple has lost the first half in each of its last 13 September games as an underdog.
- Penn State has won the first quarter in each of its last six games against teams from Pennsylvania.
Total Points Facts
- Five of Temple’s last six games in September have gone OVER the total points line.
- Three of Penn State’s last four games against non-conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Temple Owls Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 2, JoJo Bermudez ranks T1st amongst qualified players for catch rate (100.0%) this season.
Penn State Nittany Lions Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 2, Chase Sowell ranks T1st amongst qualified players for catch rate (100.0%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Temple ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q3 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
- Temple ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q4 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
- Penn State ranks T1st among FBS teams for points allowed per game this season (0.0).
- Penn State ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q1 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
Temple vs Penn State Prediction
Penn State picked up a dominating win over Marshall in week one, but they will go on the road for this one. The Nittany Lions are an unknown this year, as they have a lot of bodies from the portal, but the first game was very good. Temple defeated a FCS school, but their passing game was non-existent. I don’t think the Owls will get away with that approach here and I expect Penn State to control both lines. Take PSU to cover.
