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Predictions / Week 2, 2026 / Penn State at Temple

Temple vs Penn State Prediction: Will Penn State Cover -23.5?

Backdoor Cover’s model projects Penn State -30.76 for Penn State at Temple, 7.3 points off the market’s Penn State -23.5, and gives Penn State a 99% win probability.

Week2
DateSat, Sep 12
Kickoff12:00 PM
VenueLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
TVESPN2
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Our model
Penn State -30.76
Penn State wins 99.4% of simulations
7.3
points apart
The market
Penn State -23.5
the latest available line

What this tells us

Our model is more bullish on Penn State than the market. It projects a decisive victory by a wider margin and assigns a near-certain win probability that exceeds what the market's line reflects. The two reads agree on the winner but diverge on the size of Penn State's advantage.

Model recommendation
Penn State -23.5

The model's side at the current number. Our subscriber card may still pass on this game — the pick engine keeps only a fraction of predictions.

About this gap

This falls in our second-strongest disagreement tier — 58.7% cover historically.

Model vs market Cover % Games
0–3 pts 55.2% 163
3–6 pts 59.6% 89
6–10 pts · this game 58.7% 92
10+ pts 75.0% 68

Wk 8–16 2025 sample.

Weather at kickoff

78°F
temperature
8 mph
wind
3%
precipitation

No significant weather expected.

How the number is built

The model rates every FBS team on efficiency adjusted for opponent quality, predicts a score, and converts it to a spread. Subscriber picks are the filtered subset of those predictions — the games where the model's edge meets pattern criteria that have historically outperformed the raw model.

Published performance covers Week 8, 2025 through the end of the 2025 season. Results are posted before kickoff and graded once the game finishes.

Track recordAll Week 2 breakdowns

Common questions

Who does the model project to win Temple vs Penn State?

Backdoor Cover’s model projects Penn State to win, with a 99% win probability.

What is the model’s predicted spread for Penn State at Temple?

The model projects Penn State -30.76, versus the market’s Penn State -23.5 — a gap of 7.3 points.

What side does the model favor against the spread?

Penn State -23.5, at the current number. Our subscriber card may still pass on this game.

What subscribers get on this game

Everything above is the free model. Subscribers get our actual decision on Penn State at Temple — including, more often than not, the decision to sit it out — and the size we are betting if we play it.

Our decision on this game
Whether we are betting it, which side, and at what number we took.
The size we are betting
Two figures on every play — the full size we use and a lower-risk suggested size.
The interactive projection tools
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The full graded ledger
Every pick since Week 8 of 2025, win or lose, kept public rather than members-only.
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The record you are buying into
2025 net
record
filtered picks

Other Week 2 breakdowns

Rice at Notre DameModel has Notre Dame by 21.6, market by 44.5 Louisiana Tech at LSUModel has LSU by 20.5, market by 35.5 Louisiana at USCModel has USC by 17, market by 31.5

Predictions are not betting advice. For informational and entertainment purposes only. You must be 21 or older, or the legal age where you are. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Published Sep 10, 2026 · Numbers refreshed Sep 11, 2026 · © 2026 Backdoor Cover LLC