Boise State vs Fresno State – Betting Lines

Written September 18, 2009 by Riley Martin

boise-state-fresno-state-preview-091809 Friday night brings us a great WAC in-conference game when the No. 9 Boise State Broncos roll into Fresno, California to take on the Bulldogs. Both teams are healthy with no important injuries and the game starts at 8pm Eastern Time. Boise State comes in with a 2-0 record while Fresno State stands at 1-1 with a tough overtime road loss last week in Wisconsin. Oddsmakers currently have the Broncos as 7-point favorites at Fresno, which makes since considering Boise State has pretty much dominated in recent years. Fresno State, however, seems to be a much improved team this year as they return 9 starters on defense and 7 talented players on offense. It will probably not be enough to win the game, but covering the spread could definitely be in reach. Lets go over the both sides before we make a prediction. The latest college football odds show Boise State -7.5 against Fresno State, with an over/under of 53 points.

Boise State pretty much comes into this game as the clear favorite and through the first two weeks has shown to be a very dangerous team, once again. They have a great coach in Chris Petersen, 2006 national coach of the year, and are 35-4 under his tenure. The Broncos did have a lot of key departures this year, but 2009 shouldn’t be much different as they look win another WAC conference title. Therefore, their expectations are still as high as ever and are completely viable candidates to trip another BCS game. Defense is their key strength this year. Their scoring defense ranked 3rd nationally last year while their total defense ranked 20th. Their run defense was 22nd too. They are good all around so teams won’t be able to load up by just running the ball or just passing the ball. They do have a few weaknesses though. First off, all three of their top receivers are gone, leaving a slight question mark in their passing game. Also, although they do have a great returning back in Jeremy Avery, main back Ian Johnson is gone. That being said, Boise State should still have a solid, if not great team this year. Look for the Broncos to be BCS contenders in January. If you plan to do any college football betting this season, plan on a new account at BetUS and grab your $500 match bonus!

The Bulldogs get an even tougher game this week when they face off with Boise State at home. They could easily been sitting here with a 2-0 record coming into this game too, but blew a 21-7 lead to Wisconsin in week 2. But with just a mediocre season last year, they’re really looking to bounce back and give Boise some competition this year for the WAC title. The Fresno State running game looks to be tremendous this year also as they’ve totaled for 489 yards on the ground so far, with running back Ryan Mathews taking 213 of those. The running game doesn’t stop with Mathews either as they have backs like Robbie Rouse and Lonyae Miller who are both averaging over 5.1 yards a carry. Defense will be another key part of this Bulldog team. They return nine starters and should finish in the top 3 in the conference.

Lets get down to the facts though. Boise State has straight demolished the WAC in recent years going 54-2 in conference play since 2002. They also have won three straight over the bulldogs including last years 61-10 win. Since 2004 against Virginia, Fresno State has lost nine in a row against ranked opponents. They are both 1-7 ATS and 1-7 straight up in their last 8 games against Boise State. This season could be a new season, but I just don’t see it happening. Boise State is back again in 2009 and should easily slide past the Bulldogs. Take the points on Boise State.

Final Score Prediction: Boise State 31 Fresno State 14

Riley’s Pick: Boise State -7.5

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