In a possible preview of the first Mountain West Conference championship game 2-0 Fresno State hosts 2-1 Boise State Friday night at Bulldog Stadium (9 pm ET, ESPN).
In the early betting FSU, which just had a week off thanks to a postponement of its scheduled game at Colorado, was favored by four points over Boise State, which has beaten the Bulldogs seven times in a row.
View Boise State vs Fresno State Odds and Stats.
Betting Line: Bettors looking to side with the Bulldogs in this one found them as 3-point favorites at Sportsbook. The over under number was 68 midweek at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction: According to the Power Rankings here at OddsShark it's the No. 75-rated Bulldogs and the No. 81-rated Broncos in this matchup. Predictive formulas point to a 49-45 win for the Broncos on Friday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Fresno State's No. 11-ranked offense (46.5 PPG) against a Broncos defense that ranks No. 61 at 24 PPG. The Bulldogs passing attack has averaged 332 yards per game, more than the Broncos give up through the air (211 YPG on average).
In comparing defenses, the Broncos own the league's No. 87-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 268 yards per game when on the road. Fresno State, on the other hand, rates No. 99 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
Boise State won its last outing, a 42-20 result against Air Force on September 13. Boise State failed to cover in that game as a 23-point favorite, while the 62 combined points took the game OVER the total. Jay Ajayi ran through the Air Force defense for 125 yards in Boise State's last game, handing the Falcons a 42-20 setback on Friday at Bronco Stadium.
Boise State Broncos Trends:
When playing in September are 10-0
When playing on grass are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing within the conference are 9-1
Fresno State Bulldogs Trends:
When playing in September are 6-4
When playing on grass are 9-1
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 8-2
A few Broncos at Bulldogs trends to consider:
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Fresno State
Boise State is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Boise State is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
Boise State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Fresno State
Fresno State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Fresno State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Fresno State's last 6 games at home
Fresno State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boise State
Next up:
Boise State home to Southern Miss, Saturday, September 28
Fresno State at Hawaii, Saturday, September 28
