Temple begins AAC play as underdog, Penn State a double-digit favorite in college football’s Week 5

Temple finished its nonconference football schedule Saturday with a blowout loss to Miami, while Penn State played its second straight Big Ten contest and thumped Iowa, 31-0.

Now the Owls prepare for their American Athletic Conference opener Thursday at Tulsa, while the Nittany Lions visit Northwestern on Saturday. Here’s a look at the odds for Temple and Penn State’s matchups, along with the biggest games of the weekend.

Odds are courtesy of FanDuel, current at the time of publishing, and subject to change.

Like Temple, Tulsa is an even 2-2 this season, losing its matchups against Power 5 opponents (Washington, Oklahoma) but picking up wins against Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Northern Illinois. The Golden Hurricane offense is led by freshman quarterback Cardell Williams, who has experienced some growing pains the last couple of games, with four interceptions over his last two.

Meanwhile, E.J. Warner and the Owls offense look to get back on track after mustering just seven points last week. Temple is looking to pick up its first win over Tulsa since the 2018 season.

Northwestern surprised the conference last week, erasing a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter and defeating Minnesota in overtime, 37-34, to pick up its first Big Ten win since the beginning of the 2022 season, when it beat Nebraska. Now, the Wildcats have a tall task to slow down a Penn State offense that is starting to find its groove, while the defense has forced nine turnovers over the last two games.

Drew Allar continues his perfect season taking care of the football (nine passing touchdowns, zero interceptions) while Kaytron Allen has carried the load at running back. The Nittany Lions should cruise in this game, but 25 points is a large number to cover for a team that is not flashy offensively.

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