NCAAF Playoff First Round Game Lines: SMU at Penn State Picks

Back in the days when the top 2 teams in the rankings went to the National Championship, arguments raged over who was put in and who missed out.

The implementation of a 4-team playoff did little to quell those arguments, as fans still believed that we saw some level of injustice every year.

NCAAF Playoff First Round Game Lines Analysis

Now that we are entering a 12-team playoff, the hope is that those arguments will be gone forever, or at least taken down to a bare minimum.

The bracket looks exciting, and it is fun to see some smaller schools get their chance, but can they prove that they belong?

The SMU Mustangs will be going all out to take down Penn State in the opening round of the playoffs, but the bookies are not totally sold, putting the Nittany Lions in as an 8 ½ point favorite. The point total for this one is set at 54.

How to Bet and Watch the NCAAF Playoff First Round Game Lines

MyBookie NCAAF Moneylines: SMU +250 / Penn State -320
Date & Time: Saturday, December 21 at 12 PM EST
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park
TV: TNT

JOIN NOW

NCAAF Playoff First Round Game Odds provided by MyBookie

NCAAF Playoff First Round Game Prediction

I definitely think it’s fair to suggest that the Nittany Lions had the tougher schedule this season, so they deserve to be favorites here.

I think playing at home gives them a big edge, so I am taking them to win and cover the spread, with the OVER also hitting.

SMU Mustangs 24, Penn State Nittany Lions 35

SMU Mustangs Analysis and Trends

You have to give some real credit to the SMU Mustangs for heading into the ACC this season and making it look like they belonged.

They won the regular season title, but they went on to lose to the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship Game, which is not the ideal way to head into the playoffs.

The question now is whether that loss to another playoff bound team is a potential problem for SMU heading into the postseason. This matchup may well help us answer that question.

Among the best players in Texas.

Kevin has been named a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award!#PonyUp pic.twitter.com/r6Np6PqC78
— SMU Football (@SMUFB) December 18, 2024

Playing on the road to start the playoffs is not a big issue for this team, as they have won 10 in a row in hostile territory.

They have gone 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall, but are 1-5 ATS in games played in the month of December.

They have seen the UNDER come up in 11 of their last 16 road games played on a Saturday.

Penn State Nittany Lions Analysis and Trends

The Nittany Lions come into the playoffs with the same 11-2 record as their opponent, with one of those losses coming in the Big Ten Championship Game, which ended up being a slugfest with Oregon.

Their only other loss this season came against another playoff team in the Ohio State Buckeyes, so like SMU, there are questions as to how far Penn State can go in the postseason when their losses have come against teams they might need to face again along the way.