Penn State vs Temple Prediction 9/12/2026 Today’s College Football Picks

The Temple Owls and Penn State Nittany Lions meet Saturday in week 2 college football action at Lincoln Financial Field. Here’s a Penn State vs. Temple Prediction. This article includes a Penn State vs. Temple Pick.

Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview

The Penn State Nittany Lions beat Marshall and play Buffalo next. Penn State has won 5 straight games. Rocco Becht is completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 271 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Koby Howard and Brett Eskildsen have combined for 209 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns, while Zay Robinson has 1 reception.

The Penn State Nittany Lions’ ground game is averaging 163 yards per contest, and Carson Hansen leads the way with 48 yards on 11 carries. Defensively, Penn State is allowing 0 points and 147 yards per game. Tony Rojas leads the Penn State Nittany Lions with 7 tackles, Caleb Bacon has 1 sack, and Kooper Ebel has 1 pass deflection.

Temple Owls Betting Preview

The Temple Owls beat Rhode Island and play Toledo next. Temple has lost 4 of its last 5 games. Ajani Sheppard is completing 50 percent of his passes for 85 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Colin Chase and JoJo Bermudez have combined for 83 receiving yards on 5 catches, while Keveun Mason has 2 receptions.

The Temple Owls’ ground game is averaging 227 yards per contest, and Keveun Mason leads the way with 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensively, Temple is allowing 14 points and 292 yards per game. Curly Ordonez leads the Temple Owls with 8 tackles, Kevin Hornbeak Jr. has 1 sack, and Jamarcus Pierre has 1 interception.

Why the Temple Owls will win

• Temple has won five of its last six home games against teams from Pennsylvania.
• Penn State has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven games as an AP-ranked team.
• Temple has covered the spread in four of its last five home games against non-conference opponents.

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win

• Penn State has won 32 of its last 33 games as an AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team.
• Temple has lost each of its last 12 games as an underdog against AP-ranked teams.
• Penn State has covered the spread in each of its last seven September road games as an AP-ranked team.
• Temple has failed to cover the spread in each of its last six games against AP-ranked teams at Lincoln Financial Field.
• Penn State has won the first half in each of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked teams.

Total Points Facts

• Four of Temple’s last five games against opponents from the Big Ten Conference have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Three of Penn State’s last four games against teams from Pennsylvania have gone OVER the total points line.

Temple Owls Player Prop Facts

• Heading into Week 2, Colin Chase ranks T1st amongst qualified players for catch rate (100.0%) this season.

Penn State Nittany Lions Player Prop Facts

• Heading into Week 2, Quinton Martin Jr. ranks T1st amongst qualified players for catch rate (100.0%) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• Temple ranks T1st among FBS teams for H2 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
• Temple ranks T1st among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage this season (100.0).
• Penn State ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q2 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
• Penn State ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q3 opponent points per game this season (0.0).

Penn State vs Temple Prediction

Penn State has the talent obviously to give Temple the business, and the Owls have been underwhelming in recent years. However, despite these teams not playing since 2016, this is still a rivalry, and if there was any game for Temple to get up for, it’s this one. There’s history between these programs, and it has to be one of the biggest games for Temple in recent history. There’s also a bit of a prove-it side for Penn State, as this program has taken a back seat in recent years. I’m just not at the point where I want to lay double-digit chalk with the Nittany Lions on the road. I’ll grab the free touchdowns with Temple.

Randy Chambers's Pick: Temple +23.5