Fresno State vs. Boise State Prediction and Odds: Back Bulldogs as Underdogs
By Matt De Saro
The Boise State Broncos look to keep their six-game winning streak intact when they face off against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Tuesday evening. The Broncos are 9-4 overall and are coming off a strong 58-52 win at Washington State last week. The offense is led by Senior forward Abu Kigab with 14.8 points per game and 6.8 boards, both career-high marks.
While the Bulldogs have a better overall record at 10-3, they have lost two of their last five games to San Fransisco and Utah. They did manage to bounce back after the Utes game to beat Weber State 69-43 thanks to Orlando Robinson’s 22 point performance. The Junior forward currently leads the team with 18.5 points per game and 8.2 boards and is shooting over 50 percent from the field.
This will be both teams’ first games against conference opponents in the Mountain West and should be a hotly contested showdown. Here are the odds for this matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Fresno State vs. Boise State Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
- Fresno State +4 (-110)
- Boise State -4 (-110)
Moneyline:
- Fresno State +155
- Boise State -175
Total: 119.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Fresno State vs. Boise State and Pick
One thing that both of these teams have in common is that they rely much more on their defense than their scoring. In fact, both teams are pretty dreadful from the field. They each rank outside the top-200 in overall scoring with the Broncos at No. 216 and the Bulldogs at No. 249. Their shooting percentages are almost identical at around 34.5 percent from the field and 31 percent from deep.
So how are these two teams winning games?
Well, the Bulldogs have the third-best defense in terms of points allowed per game and the Broncos are No. 13. Boise State also ranks second in the nation in assists allowed per game and No. 6 in opponent 3-pointers made.
One area they do not do so well in however is rebounding They are 72nd in the nation in overall rebounds and 166th in defensive boards. The Bulldogs, on the flip side, are No. 14 in the nation in terms of opponents' total rebounds per game and are 14th nationwide in defensive rebounding percentage. This is a big enough gap for me to feel good about taking a shot with Fresno State. A lean on the under doesn’t feel too bad either but I think the value lays in an upset win for the Bulldogs.
Pick: Fresno State +155 to win