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Fresno State v. Boise State Football Odds & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on September 14, 2009

boise st fresno st 91409 The 10th ranked Boise State Broncos take on the Fresno State Bulldogs Friday night at Bulldog Stadium in a high-profile WAC battle. The Broncos improved to 2-0 with a 48-0 rout of Miami Ohio last week while the Bulldogs squandered an opportunity to remain unbeaten, blowing a 14-0 lead against Wisconsin. The Bulldogs will be looking to avenge that loss as well as a 10-61 blood bath they received in Boise last November. College football odds makers see this year’s contest being a lot more competitive, listing Boise State as a 7-point favorite.

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Boise State finished with the third-best scoring defense in the country last season, allowing only 12.6 points per game and it is picking up right where it left off, holding its first two opponents to 8 and 0 points respectively. Last week, the Broncos held the RedHawks to just 194 yards of offense and allowed no play longer than 13 yards on their way to their 21st straight home win. The star of the offense was wide receiver Austin Pettis, who caught four balls for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also excelled in special teams with a punt block that set up a touchdown.

This week, I expect Boise State’s defense to continue its strong play. The Broncos have the luxury of being able to rotate 12 players in their front seven to keep the defense extremely fresh all game long. They have also come up with six takeaways through the first two games.

A 48-0 win seems like a dominant offensive performance, but it is apparent that the Boise State offense is not yet hitting on all cylinders and now the Broncos take to the road for the first time this season. Turnovers and penalties have kept the Bulldogs from taking advantage of good scoring opportunities. QB Kellen Moore even tossed an interception at the goal line last week on a play that should have been a touchdown. Hopefully the Broncos will be able to work out kinks like that one in practice this week. If you like the Broncos to stay undefeated and cover the 7-point spread in the process, bet Boise State at -7 at Bookmaker.

Fresno State knows it let a win get away last week, but the Bulldogs must put that one behind them or they are liable to get waxed by Boise State like they did last year. A letdown is not expected from the Bulldogs though, as the 51-point loss they suffered in Boise last season should serve as plenty of motivation this week.

Boise State’s defense has been dominant early in the season but Fresno State showed that it could move the football against a beefy Wisconsin front line. Running back Ryan Matthews was impressive in running for 107 yards to break the century mark for a second consecutive game. But the Bulldogs may find it easiest to move the football against Boise State by taking to the air to utilize their deep wide receiver corps led by Devon Wylie. Wylie had five grabs for 114 yards last week. The key will be QB Ryan Colburn’s ability to make smart decisions with the football. He threw for 289 yards and four scores last week, but his three interceptions were a big reason why the Dogs were not able to come away with a win.

Defensively, Fresno Stat’s challenge will be to stop the run. Fresno State’s rushing defense was among the worst in the country last season and the Bulldogs allowed Wisconsin to run for 188 yards last week. If you like the Bulldogs to take this one right down to the wire in this revenge spot, bet Fresno State at +7 at Bookmaker.

Make sure you consult World Champion Handicapper Jimmy Boyd’s college football picks before doing any football betting this week.

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