St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State Prediction and Odds

The Shriners Children's Charleston Classic gets underway on Thursday afternoon with the St. Bonaventure Bonnies taking on the Boise State Broncos.

The Bonnies find themselves inside the top 25 after an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, currently No. 22, while Boise State is hoping to replace some key contributors from last season, namely Derrick Alston Jr, with development from some upperclassmen on hand.

Let's check out the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook and find our favorite bet for this matchup

St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State Odds, Spread, Total

Spread:

• St. Bonaventure: -4.5 (-110)
• Boise State: +4.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• St. Bonaventure: -200
• Boise State: +170

Total: 131.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State Pick and Prediction

St. Bonaventure is an elite defensive unit. The team was 20th in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric last season, rank inside the top 35 in minutes continuity, and now are 33rd to start this season.

The team shuts down the interior of the floor, yielding a high amount of three-point attempts. While the sample size is small this season, this does play into what head coach Mark Schmidt wants to do on defense with his matchup zone, clog driving lanes and force teams to beat them from the perimeter.

This could play into their hands considering Boise State hasn't been able to get going from the three-point line this year, hitting on just 16% of three's so far. Simply put, the Broncos don't have the shooters to make this St. Bonaventure defense pay.

However, I'm not looking to play the Bonnies without clarity around big man Osun Osunniyi, who is nursing a back injury. Schmidt mentioned that he is "hopeful" the big man can play, but keep an eye on that before betting SBU.

While I do lean towards the favorite, my stronger opinion is towards the under. Boise is still a veteran squad that is a strong defensive team in their own right. Unlike their opponents, they don't allow three-point shots, lowest three-point rate in the country so far and inside the top 100 last season.

I can see this being a low battle in the 60's on Thursday afternoon with both teams playing at a methodical pace.

Lean: UNDER 131.5