The No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions look to close out their third 11-win season in the past four years when they battle the No. 17 Memphis Tigers in the 2019 Cotton Bowl on Saturday from Arlington, Texas. The Nittany Lions (10-2, 7-2) are taking part in their sixth straight bowl game and 14th since the 2002 season, while the Tigers (12-1, 7-1) are looking for a school-record 13th victory after clinching their third double-digit win season in six years and sixth bowl game in a row.
Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is at noon ET. Penn State is also looking for its sixth 11-win year since the 2005 season. The Nittany Lions are seven-point favorite in the latest Penn State vs. Memphis odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 60.5. Before making any Memphis vs. Penn State picks, you need to check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $4,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also went a sizzling 8-2 on all picks against the spread during Championship Week. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Penn State vs. Memphis in the 2019 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it's also generated a strong against the spread pick that is hitting in over 50 percent of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are the college football betting lines and trends for Memphis vs. Penn State:
- Penn State vs. Memphis spread: Penn State -7
- Penn State vs. Memphis over-under: 60 points
- Penn State vs. Memphis money line: Memphis +201, Penn State -248
- MEM: 8-4 against the spread
- PSU: 4-1 against the spread away from home
Penn State's senior class has won 41 games over the last four seasons and features a balanced rushing attack, with three players rushing for 350 yards or more. Defensively, the Nittany Lions allow fewer than 100 yards rushing per game and have two players with at least 10 tackles for loss -- Yetur Gross-Matos and Micah Parsons -- and a pair of players with at least 6.5 sacks in Gross-Matos and Shaka Toney.
Parsons leads the Lions with a team-high 95 tackles, including 45 solo, three sacks, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Safety Garrett Taylor is second with 75 tackles, including 43 solo, one sack, two passes defensed and one forced fumble.
But just because the Nittany Lions have been dominant for much of the season does not guarantee they will cover the Penn State vs. Memphis spread in the Cotton Bowl 2019.
Memphis named deputy head coach and offensive line coach Ryan Silverfield head coach on Dec. 13. He becomes the 25th head coach in Memphis history and will lead the Tigers against the Nittany Lions. He has been a part of Memphis staffs that led the program to three straight AAC West crowns and four straight bowl games, rolling up 38 wins the past four seasons, including two 10-win years.
The Tigers' ground attack is spearheaded by freshman running back Kenneth Gainwell, who leads the team with 222 carries for 1,425 yards (6.4 average) and 12 touchdowns. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in seven games, including a 14-carry, 209-yard, two-touchdown effort against Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 5.
So who wins Penn State vs. Memphis in the Cotton Bowl 2019? And which side of the spread can you bank on in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Memphis vs. Penn State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $4,000 on its top-rated college football picks, and find out.
