Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Arkansas Razorbacks: Betting Guide

It is amazing that Penn State and Arkansas have never played in college football. So many times in past decades, these schools have had great or very good teams which played in prestigious bowl games – just not against each other. The wait is finally over, though. Penn State and Arkansas will finally meet. It’s an Outback Bowl worth being excited about.

• Game: Penn State (7-5) vs. Arkansas (8-4)
• Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa)
• Day/Time: Saturday, January 1 – 12:00 p.m. ET
• Television: ESPN2

The Nittany Lions lost in the snow of East Lansing, Michigan, falling to Michigan State. Everyone knows that Michigan State has a bad secondary and a defense which is vulnerable to the passing game. Yet, Penn State and head coach James Franklin decided to run the ball a lot against Michigan State. The Nittany Lions’ offense went against the strength of the Michigan State defense and paid a price. The PSU offense was inconsistent due to its run-first emphasis and approach in that game. Penn State committed critical turnovers in the second half, while Michigan State converted a big fourth down in the fourth quarter, en route to a touchdown and a significant win for the Spartans. Penn State was ranked in the top five of the nation earlier in the season, but an injury to quarterback Sean Clifford put the brakes on what the Nittany Lions were trying to accomplish. Clifford returned later in the season, but he still struggled because his offensive line did not protect him very well. A brutal nine-overtime loss to Illinois featured just 18 points for an offense which withered as the season moved along in central Pennsylvania.

Arkansas handled Missouri easily, physically overpowering the Tigers and smothering Missouri’s offense. Arkansas’ offense struggled in the first half but loosened up in the second half, as the Hogs pulled away for their eighth win of the 2021 season. Arkansas was just 3-7 last year, but the program had improved markedly from the 2019 campaign in which it lost 10 games. The improvement was there, but not the wins. In 2021, the improvement and the wins were brought to the table by head coach Sam Pittman, who has engineered a remarkably quick turnaround for the program. The surprise isn’t the turnaround itself, but the speed with which this transformation has been executed. Arkansas is definitely headed in the right direction.

Betting on the Game

With Penn State having more key player opt-outs than Arkansas, taking the Razorbacks over the Nittany Lions is the call here. In normal times, we probably wouldn’t see Arkansas -2 in this spot but they do have the edge and are the better play here.