Opening Odds in Cotton Bowl Favor Penn State Over Memphis
By Robert Duff in College Football
Updated: April 1, 2020 at 2:54 pm EDTPublished:
- Penn State is a 7.5-point favorite over Memphis in the Cotton Bowl
- The Nittany Lions and Tigers will meet on the football field for the first time
- Penn State is 2-5 straight up in its last five bowl games – read below how the betting line might shift leading up to kickoff
History will be made on Dec. 28 at the Cotton Bowl. The opponents in this season’s game, the Penn State Nittany Lions and Memphis Tigers, have never previously clashed on the gridiron.
The Tigers will be playing in the Cotton Bowl for the first time. The Nittany Lions will be playing in the Cotton Bowl for the first time since 1975.
Oddmakers have opened its line of the game by listing Penn State as the 7.5-point favorites.
Memphis vs Penn State Cotton Bowl Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | OFF | +7.5 (-118) | OFF |
| Penn State | OFF | -7.5 (-102) | OFF |
Odds taken Dec. 8.
The Nittany Lions beat the Baylor Bears 41-20 in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1975.
Norvell Won’t Coach Tigers at Cotton Bowl
Saturday was the biggest moment in Memphis football history. The Tigers’ 29-24 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats gave them the American Athletic Conference title. It was the first conference championship in school history. The victory earned them their trip to the Cotton Bowl.
And then they learned their coach was leaving.
Yes, he’s leaving for Fla. State, but Mike Norvell is going out as a Memphis legend, and forever grateful for the support the city gave him in his time in the 901.
Norvell: “For anybody outside, that’s never lived in Memphis, you just don’t understand. It’s an incredible place.” pic.twitter.com/8RNuuAD7y1
— Sudu (@sudu_tv) December 8, 2019
Word actually leaked out during the game that on Sunday, Memphis head coach Mike Norvell would be introduced as the new man in charge of the Florida State Seminoles.
He met with his players on Sunday morning prior to leaving for Tallahassee for his introductory press conference and asked to coach in the game, if the team is still willing to have him in charge.
Per Laird Veatch, Ryan Silverfield as of right now will coach the Cotton Bowl for Memphis. If something changes with Mike Norvell, they are open to it but for now they are proceeding with Silverfield as the coach
It’s a conversation that Veatch will have with Norvell.
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) December 8, 2019
Later in the day, Memphis introduced deputy head coach and offensive line coach Ryan Silverfield as interim head coach of the Tigers.
He’s expected to make his debut as coach of the 12-1 Tigers in the Cotton Bowl.
Searching for Parallels
Not only have the #10 Nittany Lions and #17 Tigers never met, they’ve had no common opponents this season. The closest trend that can be deciphered is the Temple Owls.
The Tigers suffered their lone loss this season to the Owls, a 30-28 setback. Temple, 8-4 this season, also defeated Big Ten Conference members Maryland 20-17. Penn State hammered the Terrapins 38-3 in Big Ten play this season.
The 10-2 Nittany Lions are 2-2 against ranked teams this season. They beat Michigan and Iowa. They lost to 13-0 Ohio State and 10-2 Minnesota.
Memphis was 3-0 against ranked teams this season. The Tigers twice beat Cincinnati (10-2) and also toppled SMU (10-2).
Nobody on Cincinnati's defense could stop him 💨 pic.twitter.com/wp5qyZdDOX
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 7, 2019
Memphis has the10th-ranked offense in the NCAA this season (480.7 yards per game). The Tigers are also boast the eighth-highest scoring offense (40.5 points per game). Quarterback Brady White is ninth in the nation in passing yards (3,560) and touchdown passes (33).
Penn State is ranked seventh in the NCAA in scoring defense (14.10 ppg). The Nittany Lions are ninth in fewest penalties per game (4.58) and 18th overall in turnover differential (+7).
Bowl Busts
Penn State’s recent bowl record is nothing to write home about. The Nittany Lions lost 27-24 to Kentucky in last season’s Citrus Bowl. They are 2-5 in bowl games since 2010. They’re also 2-0-1 in the Cotton Bowl, though.
Memphis has lost four straight bowl games and six of seven since 2007.
It’s a Nittany Lions Line
The uncertainty with the Memphis coaching situation definitely figures to sway the odds in Penn State’s favor. The Nittany Lions are 5-6-1 against the spread this season, while the Tigers are 7-4-1 ATS.
It’s Official: #PennState will face Memphis in the 2019 Goodyear Cotton Bowl! 🔵⚪️#WeAre pic.twitter.com/GseyJ8De1O
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 8, 2019
Penn State played a much tougher schedule in the Big Ten East. The Memphis offense is explosive and exciting but the Tigers haven’t faced a defense as stiff as the Nittany Lions will pit against them.
Don’t wait to bet on Penn State.
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
