Penn State walks into Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday as a three-touchdown-plus road favorite, and the spread has crept higher since it hit the board. The Nittany Lions are laying 24 against a Temple team that is also 1-0 but arrives with an unsettled quarterback rotation and an offensive line missing starters. The total has moved too. Both picks below come from reading that movement rather than fighting it.
Last Updated: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Penn State vs. Temple — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia PA |
| When | Saturday, September 12 – 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
Penn State vs. Temple Betting Preview
Penn State opened the Matt Campbell era with a 45-0 shutout of Marshall. Quarterback Rocco Becht, who followed Campbell from Iowa State, went 13-of-18 for 271 yards and four touchdown passes to four different receivers, a career high. That is what a No. 16 ranking in the current AP Top 25 is built on.
Temple is 1-0 too. K.C. Keeler’s second-year group handled FCS Rhode Island 38-14, and running back Keveun Mason carried 20 times for a career-high 158 yards and two scores. The defense added two pick-sixes, a program first. However, the passing game was quiet. That is where the Owls’ problems start.
Keeler has not named a starting quarterback. Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard split snaps against Rhode Island and combined for 142 yards through the air on 16 attempts. Keeler said afterward that no one took charge and that both would play again. Smolik adds a layer here: he spent his early career at Penn State before transferring to Temple in January.
The bigger concern is up front. Owls starting left tackle Giakoby Hills is out for roughly six weeks, and right tackle Kevin Terry is a game-time call. Keeler says he has eight or nine linemen who can play and will move people around. Penn State leads the series 40-4-1 and has won 32 of the last 33 meetings, per the Penn State game notes and the Temple release. Temple’s last win came in 2015.
Penn State vs. Temple Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | -24 (-110) | -2500 | O 51 (-110) |
| Temple | +24 (-110) | +1000 | U 51 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of September 12, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NCAAF Odds – Futures – Props
Penn State vs. Temple Prediction — Can the Home Dog Survive the Trenches?
Start with the movement. This game opened with Penn State laying 23.5 and has ticked up to 24. That is a half-point, not a stampede, but it went the favorite’s way after the Temple injury news landed. The reason is visible on the Owls’ depth chart.
Temple’s path to staying inside this number runs through Mason and the ground game. That path narrows with the left tackle out and the right tackle uncertain. An offense that threw for 142 yards against an FCS opponent likely needs its run blocking intact to move the ball. Meanwhile, Penn State’s front seven already looked disruptive in the opener.
The case against laying this many points is real, though. Twenty-four is a steep ask in a regional game with a noon kickoff and a partisan Philadelphia crowd. A new head coach may pull starters early once the result is settled, and backup snaps are where big spreads go to die. Temple also went 7-5 against the spread last season.
Still, the quarterback rotation is the tiebreaker. Splitting snaps against a top-20 defense rarely produces the sustained drives an underdog needs. The edge mismatch should show up early enough that Penn State banks the margin before the bench empties.
The Pick: Penn State -24 (-110)
Penn State vs. Temple Prediction — Is the Total Chasing Week 1 Scores?
The total has moved more than the spread. It opened at 49.5 and now sits at 51, a climb driven by two lopsided Week 1 scoreboards. Penn State hung 45 on Marshall and Temple put up 38 on Rhode Island. Those numbers came against overmatched opposition, and totals that rise on blowout box scores deserve a second look.
The scoring case is straightforward. Becht’s deep passing showed real explosiveness, and Temple’s secondary has not faced a receiving group like this one. If Penn State scores on short fields, the number gets there quickly. Friday’s Villanova vs Louisville matchup, which you can read about here: Villanova vs Louisville Prediction for September 11: Will Wildcats Hang? walked through the same tension.
The other side is the clock. A banged-up Temple line and a rotating quarterback suggest short, run-heavy possessions, not shootout pace. Blowouts also drain the fourth quarter. Add it up and the scoring profile looks closer to the opening number than the current one.
The Pick: Under 51 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
The moneyline is the market to leave alone. Penn State at -2500 asks for 25 units to win one, with no cushion for a sloppy noon start. Temple at +1000 implies roughly nine percent, and the Owls would likely need multiple takeaways and a settled quarterback to get there. The Temple price also shortened from +1200 since the opener, trimming what little value was there. For a similar look at a large number, see Norfolk State vs Virginia Prediction for September 11: Spread too High?
Bonus Angle: Pass on both moneylines — Penn State -2500 and Temple +1000
All picks for this game: Penn State -24 (-110) on the spread, Under 51 (-110) on the total, and a pass on both moneylines.
NCAAF Penn State vs. Temple FAQ: Saturday September 12, 2026
What time does the Penn State vs. Temple game start?
Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Both schools list the noon Eastern start on their official game releases, and it is the earliest of the day’s three Big Ten windows. Gates at Lincoln Financial Field open ahead of the noon kick.
What channel is the Penn State vs. Temple game on?
ESPN2 carries the national broadcast. Anish Shroff handles play-by-play with Andre Ware as analyst and Morgan Uber reporting from the sideline. Because ESPN2 is a cable network, an over-the-air antenna will not pick up the game. Penn State’s radio call runs on the Penn State Sports Network.
Where are Penn State and Temple playing?
The game is at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Temple’s home stadium. The Owls share the venue with the Philadelphia Eagles. Penn State is the designated road team here, roughly a three-hour trip from State College, which typically produces a heavy Nittany Lions presence in the stands.
Who won the last meeting between Penn State and Temple?
Penn State won the most recent meeting 34-27 in 2016. Temple’s last victory in the series came the year before, a 27-10 win in Philadelphia in 2015. Penn State leads the all-time series 40-4-1 and has won 32 of the last 33 meetings between the schools.
What conference are Penn State and Temple in?
Penn State competes in the Big Ten and Temple plays in the American Conference, so this is a non-conference matchup for both. Neither team’s league standing is affected by the result. Temple opens American play later in the season, while Penn State’s Big Ten slate follows this game.