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<p>Betting on today's Blue Hose and Penguins game? Catch the action at Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches, TX, as the Penguins hosts this showdown at 3:30 ET on ESPN+. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 140.5 points, and Youngstown State is favored by -5 vs. Presbyterian.</p><h3>PRESBYTERIAN BLUE HOSE VS YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS BETTING PICK</h3><p>The Pick: Youngstown State Penguins -5</p><p>This game will be played at Johnson Coliseum at 3:30 ET on Friday, November 22nd.</p><h3>WHY BET THE YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Penguins.</li><li>Not only will Youngstown State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 140.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.</li></ul><h3>Do the Blue Hose Have a Shot at a Win at Nacogdoches?</h3><h3>Presbyterian Blue Hose Recent Game/Games</h3>  
<p>Presbyterian pulled off a 58-55 road win over Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, November 21st. Entering the game as +8 point underdogs, the Blue Hose not only secured the win but also covered the spread.</p>  
<p>After trailing 30-22 at halftime, Presbyterian turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 30 points while holding the Lumberjacks to 22. The game’s total points of 113 fell well below the O/U line of 134.5.</p><p>Presbyterian struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 31.1% from the field and 21.7% from beyond the arc, finishing with 58 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 36.1%, and they managed only 8 assists as a team.</p> <p>Jonah Pierce was a bright spot, posting a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 63.6% from the floor. Kyle Hayman added 12 points, while Kory Mincy and Carl Parrish each contributed 11 points.</p><p>Presbyterian's defense held their opponent to just 55 points, allowing them to shoot 38% from the field. Inside the arc, the opposition went 17/37, hitting 45% of their two-point attempts.</p> <p>From three-point range, Presbyterian limited their opponent to 4/17 shooting, or 23%. The Blue Hose also sent them to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 9 attempts, shooting 40%.</p><h3>Will the Penguins Come Through as Home Favorites?</h3><h3>Youngstown State Penguins Recent Game/Games</h3> 

<p>The Penguins picked up a 72-62 win over Monmouth on Thursday, November 21st. Youngstown State, who were -4.5 favorites, covered the spread with the victory. The total points for the game were 134, falling short of the O/U line of 145.5.</p> 

<p>Youngstown State turned things around after trailing 38-29 at halftime. They clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 24 points while scoring 43 themselves to secure the win.</p><p>Youngstown State put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 41.1% from the field and 29.6% from beyond the arc, hitting 8 of 27 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.2%, and they connected on 66.7% of their free throws, going 18 for 27 from the line.</p> <p>Jaret Valencia led the way with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while EJ Farmer and Nico Galette each added 16 points, with Galette also grabbing 10 boards. The Penguins recorded 10 offensive rebounds and 10 assists in the game.</p><p>Youngstown State's defense held their opponent to just 62 points, with a field goal percentage of 41% on 23 of 56 shooting. Inside the arc, the Penguins allowed 15 of 29 shooting, or 51%.</p> <p>From three-point range, Youngstown State's defense limited their opponent to 8 of 27 shooting, or 29%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 27 times, where they made 18, or 66%. The Penguins gave up 10 offensive rebounds.</p>

Presbyterian Blue Hose vs Youngstown State Penguins NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/22/24

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The youth movement with college football head coaches is certainly on display in our first two bowl games. Will Healy has the Charlotte 49ers in their first bowl game ever and Sean Lewis has Kent State in a bowl for the first time since 2012 and for just the third time in program history. Lewis, the youngest coach in FBS, faces long odds to get the win as the Utah State Aggies are favored by 9.5 in Frisco, Texas, but the Golden Flashes have overcome the odds all season long.

Utah State was a disappointment this season. It was a tough first year in tenure #2 for Gary Andersen. The Aggies only returned two starters on offense, though one of them was quarterback Jordan Love. Word came out on December 9 that Love is pondering a graduate transfer after the bowl game. He also might declare for the NFL Draft. Judging by Kent State’s defense, Love has a chance to put on quite a show in this one. The total of 65 also suggests some points.

You really do have to hand it to Lewis. The MAC East is terrible and Kent State was able to benefit from a weak schedule, but this is also a 6-6 team that played Wisconsin, Auburn, and Arizona State in the non-conference. It sure feels like a long time removed from the Golden Flashes needing multiple overtimes to beat Kennesaw State, though the Owls were in the FCS playoffs.

You can see why this line has moved up from 8 to 9.5, though. The MAC is awful in bowl games, so that’s part of it. Also, Kent State managed 5.75 yards per play on offense, but gave up 6.31 YPP on defense. That isn’t really the resume of a 6-6 football team. You can point to the non-conference schedule, where Kent allowed 7.18 YPP to the three Power Five teams, but you can also look at how the Flashes allowed 6.17 YPP in conference. They only outgained MAC foes by 0.21 YPP, which is another reason why the market soured on Kent State right away.

All of that being said, how far did this Utah State offense fall? The Aggies were just 0.01 yards per play better than Kent State on offense. This is an Aggies unit that was 10th in the country in YPP last season. Love went from a 32/6 TD/INT ratio to a 17/16 TD/INT ratio. He has only been sacked 16 times, so he hasn’t been in the face of too much pressure, but an inexperienced group of wide receivers and a toned-down running game hurt his numbers.

Love does draw a Kent State defense that ranked 109th in yards per play allowed during the regular season. The running game for the Aggies should also get back on track with a Kent State defense that allowed over five yards per carry.

The Utah State defense regressed as well. The defense didn’t fall back nearly as much as the offense, but the Aggies went from 5.0 YPP allowed to 5.55 and went from 3.5 yards per carry allowed to 4.28. The Andersen hire was fairly puzzling to begin with and the drop-off on both sides of the ball may not bode all that well for the future. Then again, it was Andersen who originally built the boys from Logan up in the first place. Then he went to Wisconsin and Matt Wells took over when the team went from the WAC to the Mountain West.

Kent State QBs were sacked 39 times during the regular season, which tied for 122nd in the country. Utah State doesn’t have a prolific pass rush by any means, but Justin Ena should be focused on that in the bowl prep period.

This is the type of game in which gadget plays and some explosive gains are there for the taking. Utah State’s offense has regressed, but Kent State’s defense is bad and Jordan Love is plenty good enough to take advantage. Even though the total is lofty at 65, that is the way to look in this game.

As far as a side goes, the line is moving on Utah State, as Kent State was outgained on a YPP standpoint for the season, but the three Power Five teams played a huge role. It wouldn’t be a stunner to see Kent State keep this close, as Lewis is an up-and-comer in the business. Andersen has more experience prepping teams for bowl games, but he didn’t really prep his team all that well for the season.

See if you can wait this one out and grab a 10 or 10.5 on Kent State with the unyielding fade of the MAC during bowl season. My personal power rating here is Utah State -8.5. That means there won't be a ton of value off of my number, but Utah State has been unimpressive and Kent State will be plenty motivated here.

<strong>Pick: Over 65</strong>

<strong>Lean: Kent State +10 or higher</strong>

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: Kent State vs. Utah State

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