Penn State Win Total Odds: Should Gamblers Take the Over or Under?
Penn State hasn't practiced yet in 2020, and offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca hasn't even seen quarterback Sean Clifford throw a pass in his offense. Nevertheless, there's reason to like the Lions from a betting perspective this season.
In this video, Frankie Taddeo, SI fantasy/gambling analyst, and I answer the question: Over/under 9.5 for Penn State in 2020? Assuming a 12-game regular season is played, I like the over.
Penn State is set at several key spots, highlighted by arguably two of the nation's top players at their positions: linebacker Micah Parsons and tight end Pat Freiermuth.
The running backs, led by Journey Brown, figure to elevate their rotation with Noah Cain and Devyn Ford a year older. Receiver Jahan Dotson is underrated in the Big Ten, and new line coach Phil Trautwein has four returning starters and a new scheme that will improve their technical play.
The defense certainly will miss some starters, notably Yetur Gross-Matos and John Reid, but coordinator Brent Pry has quite a roster into which he can tap. Beyond Parsons, the Lions expect big seasons from linemen Shaka Toney, Antonio Shelton and PJ Mustipher; a new charge from linebackers Ellis Brooks and Jesse Luketa and a seasoned secondary led by Lamont Wade and Tariq Castro-Fields.
The main concern will be time. Ciarrocca spent the spring guiding his players through video installations and quizzes. Clifford said they played Jeopardy with offensive questions recently. That's all great, but testing well virtually can carry the Lions only so far.
Penn State will need time and space to get things right on the field. Perhaps that will nudge players to rush in mastering everything when drills begin. Good thing that the schedule (which includes an early visit to Virginia Tech) should allow room to grow. Doesn't hurt that Big Ten road trips (at Michigan, Nebraska, Indiana and Rutgers) are friendly.
Check out the video for more.
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