Utah St-Boise st
Time: 9:15 PM CST
Spread: BOI -10
M/L: BOI -10; UTA +300
Total: 55
Betting odds c/o Bovada
No. 23 overall Boise State has reeled off six straight wins and will look to get its 10th victory of the season as it hosts Utah State Saturday night. College football odds show the Broncos as 10-point favorites in the affair.
Boise State has been an offensive powerhouse all season. The Broncos rank 10th in the nation in scoring (40 points per game), while strutting out a good enough defense to make it all work (79th, 28.4 points per game). Last week, the Broncos demolished Wyoming to the tune of 63-14, and BS has scored 50 points or more four times this season. The pass offense is what makes it work and opens it up for a nearly as devastating rush attack.
Boise State averages 517 yards per game this season and QB Grant Hedrick is getting it done. Hedrick has thrown for 3,041 yards with an astounding 71.3 percent completion ratio, though he has had issues with picks (13 on the season). Hedrick has to do it all just well enough to open things up for Jay Ajayi in the backfield.
Ajayi has rushed for 1,390 yards this season with 19 TDs, and the Broncos have scored 28 rushing TDs as a team. The Broncos have a trio of WRs with over 500 yards, and Shane Williams-Rhodes has seven TDs on the season, a team high. Thomas Sperbeck leads the team in reception yardage (599) while also getting 17.6 yards per attempt.
Utah State will not be a pushover, though. The Aggies have won its past five contests and have only lost one Mountain West matchup all season (to Colorado State on Oct. 18). Last week, the Aggies manhandled San Jose State, winning 41-7. The offensive outburst was a rarity from the Aggies who average just 28.1 points per game this season. It’s been Utah State’s “D” that has been responsible for its success, which will be quite helpful against a team as formidable offensively as its opponent is this week.
The Aggies allow just 18.3 points per game this season, and after being embarrassed by Tennessee in Week 1, losing 38-7, it seems Utah State just took it in its hands to not allow that to happen again. It might not this week, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities as good as the Broncos are offensively. The point total is a tough one to peg in this given the disparate strengths and weaknesses of these teams.
