Las Vegas is anticipating a close battle in the Outback Bowl.

For the third consecutive game, the Nittany Lions have opened as betting favorites, this time against No. 22 Arkansas in the Outback Bowl.

Penn State opened as three-point favorites following their bowl berth, according to Oddshark. This comes despite the Nittany Lions’ most-recent game ending in a 30-27 loss to No. 11 Michigan State. Arkansas, on the other hand, blew past Missouri with a 34-17 victory.

The projected score sits at 24.5-21.5, and the over/under is currently set at 46 points. This marks the fourth-lowest over/under of the season for Penn State.

During the regular season, the Nittany Lions were 7-5 against the spread, the same as their win/loss record. The Razorbacks are 7-4-1 against the spread, close to their actual record of 8-4.

Arkansas’ four losses all come against SEC rivals — No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia, No. 8 Ole Miss, and Auburn. Penn State’s only common opponent was Auburn, which it defeated 28-20 in the annual White Out.

Attempting to salvage an otherwise disappointing season, recently extended head coach James Franklin will lead his Nittany Lions down south to Tampa, Florida. The Outback Bowl is currently set for a noon kickoff on January 1, 2022. The game will be televised on ESPN2