BOISE ST vs NEW MEXICO
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, November 16, 2018
Where: Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: 20
PREDICTION: NEW MEXICO , BOISE ST

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW MEXICO listed as 20 point favorites versus the BOISE ST, while the game’s total is sitting at 62.5.

After moving back into the Mountain West championship picture with a critical victory last week, No. 24 Boise State looks to avoid a letdown Friday against host New Mexico, which has lost five straight. The Broncos rallied from a 17-3 third-quarter deficit against Fresno State last week and knocked the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff rankings with a 24-17 victory.

Quarterback Brett Rypien became the Mountain West all-time leading passer in both yards and completions with a stellar outing against Fresno State, which had only allowed three touchdowns in conference play before facing the Broncos. Rypien had 269 yards passing with a touchdown along with 30 yards rushing against the Bulldogs while the team’s injury-depleted defense held Fresno State well below its previous season average of 40.4 points per game. Safety Kekoa Nawahine had 10 tackles to lead a Broncos defense that played without three starters, including leading tackler Riley Whimpey (torn ACL). The Broncos have won five in a row following a loss to San Diego State and are heavy favorites to extend the streak against struggling New Mexico, which allowed five sacks in last Saturday’s 42-24 loss to Air Force.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Boise State -20.5

ABOUT BOISE STATE (8-2, 5-1 Mountain West): After failing to run the ball consistently this season, the Broncos received a statement game from Alexander Mattison (144 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns) against Fresno State. Rypien threw for 11 touchdowns against two interceptions over the past four games and has speed on the outside in freshman wideout Khalil Shakir, who caught a 49-yard pass for a score last week. Linebacker Tyson Maeva has taken on a larger role of late, moving into third on the team in tackles (45) with a total of three sacks and six tackles-for-loss.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO (3-7, 1-5): Coach Bob Davie used both Coltin Gerhart and Sheriron Jones at quarterback against Air Force in hopes of kick-starting the offense, but the duo was limited to a combined 186 passing yards and one interception. Safety Stanley Barnwell Jr. has 62 tackles to lead the defense, which is looking to bounce back after allowing Air Force to rush for 478 yards and control the clock a week ago. “We’re not real good right now,” Davie told reporters. “They muscled us. We had a hard time with the fullback. We had a hard time with the quarterback.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Boise State is 8-1 all-time against New Mexico – including 4-0 in Albuquerque

2. New Mexico has recovered nine fumbles in the last two games after recording a total of 10 in the previous 19 contests.

3. Boise State is holding opponents to a 31 percent conversion rate on third downs, which leads the Mountain West.

PREDICTION: Boise State 45, New Mexico 13

The post BOISE ST vs. NEW MEXICO 11/16/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOISE ST vs OKLAHOMA ST
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 15, 2018
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma

TV: 3:30 PM
LINE: -3
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA ST , BOISE ST

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA ST listed as -3 point favorites versus the BOISE ST, while the game’s total is sitting at 64.

No. 17 Boise State needs a marquee victory to aid its hope of landing in a New Year’s Six bowl, and the opportunity is presented when it visits No. 19 Oklahoma State on Saturday in Stillwater. The contest figures to be a high-scoring affair as the Broncos have averaged 59 points in their two victories, while the Cowboys are clicking at 56.5 per game.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is very concerned about a veteran Boise State team and is expecting a supreme test for his own squad. “This is, in my opinion, a very good year for them,” Gundy said of the Broncos at a press conference. “They’ve got a lot of players back, the quarterback is experienced, mature and they’re top 10 or so offensively and probably top 10 defensively. Hopefully we can play the very best that we can and we’re going to need to play at a high level in order for us to give ourselves a chance to win.” Broncos coach Bryan Harsin isn’t buying into the national narrative that the matchup is crucial because it is Group of 5 (Boise State) versus Power 5 (Oklahoma State). “That’s not the way we think about it,” Harsin told reporters. “Our mentality is regardless of the logo they have on the side of their helmet, we’ve got to go figure out a way to play to the best of our ability.”

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Oklahoma State -2.5

ABOUT BOISE STATE (2-0): Senior quarterback Brett Rypien is off a terrific start by passing for 667 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception and he helped the Broncos roll up a school-record 818 yards in last Saturday’s 62-3 trouncing of Connecticut. “It felt amazing to see our offense click and to be out there having fun,” junior running back Alexander Mattison (team-best 171 rushing yards) told reporters. “We pride ourselves on going out there and executing whether that’s in the run game or the passing game. We went out and were able to make some big plays which felt really good.” The defense is allowing an average of 13.5 points and will have senior defensive tackle David Moa (undisclosed injury) on the field for the first time this season.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (2-0): Senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius has passed for 728 yards in his two career starts and has six touchdown passes against three interceptions. “He has been here so long, and he wants to play as good of a game as he can, mentally,” Gundy told reporters. “We run 80 plays a game. We play fast. Lots on the quarterback. There’s going to be mistakes. He has a high level of really quiet confidence in my opinion.” Sophomore linebacker Calvin Bundage has a team-best 14 tackles for a defense allowing 15 points per game, while redshirt freshman Devin Harper contributed a 24-yard interception return in last Saturday’s 55-13 romp over South Alabama.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The teams are meeting for the first time, although Oklahoma State is slated to visit Boise State in 2021.

2. Cowboys freshman WR Tylan Wallace (team-best 14 catches for 214 yards) established career highs of 10 receptions and 166 yards versus South Alabama.

3. Rypien has 16 career 300-yard passing performances, tying Kellen Moore (2008-11) for most in school history.

PREDICTION: Boise State 34, Oklahoma State 31

The post BOISE ST vs. OKLAHOMA ST 9/15/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

CONNECTICUT vs BOISE ST
When: 10:15 PM ET, Saturday, September 8, 2018
Where: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

TV: 10:15 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: BOISE ST , CONNECTICUT

Oddsmakers currently have the BOISE ST listed as point favorites versus the CONNECTICUT, while the game’s total is sitting at .

No. 19 Boise State strives to ride the momentum of a strong opening performance when it hosts Connecticut on Saturday. The Broncos rolled up the points and forced four turnovers in a 56-20 road win over Troy and are prohibitive favorites against the Huskies, who allowed 652 yards in a season-opening 56-17 loss to Central Florida.

Boise State senior cornerback Tyler Horton returned two fumbles for touchdowns against Troy to become just the fifth player in FBS history to achieve the feat. Horton has four career returns for touchdowns (three fumbles, one interception) and continues to be a big-play force for a defense that has 10 returning starters. Connecticut looks for a sharp turnaround from the disastrous opener and coach Randy Edsall and his troops agreed there is plenty to improve on if they are to compete with the Broncos. “Staying together as a team, you have to be united, that’s what is going to create a great team,” sophomore safety Omar Fortt told reporters. “Going into the future, we’re all going to hold each other accountable and look up to each other.”

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Boise State -31

ABOUT CONNECTICUT (0-1): Senior quarterback David Pindell is a multi-purpose threat as he established career highs with 266 passing yards and 157 on the ground in the loss to Central Florida. Senior receiver Kyle Buss had 113 yards for the first 100-yard outing of his career while sophomore Kevin Mensah (59 yards on 20 carries) is the main running back. The defense didn’t record a single tackle for loss in the opener while sophomore safety Tyler Coyle had a team-best 10 tackles and Fortt and outside linebacker Kevon Jones each had nine stops.

ABOUT BOISE STATE (1-0): Senior quarterback Brett Rypien had 305 yards and four touchdowns in the rout of Troy and he raised his career yardage to 10,181 to join school legend Kellen Moore (14,667 from 2008-11) as the only Broncos to top the 10,000-yard mark. The question of whether Boise State had a replacement for Cedrick Wilson (1,511 yards last season before entering the NFL draft) was answered positively for at least one week as senior Sean Modster had career highs of seven receptions, 167 yards and two touchdowns against Troy. Junior safety DeAndre Pierce matched his career best with 12 tackles while senior outside linebacker Tony Lashley notched his first career interception.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Boise State posted a 38-21 road victory over Connecticut in the lone previous meeting in 2014.

2. The Huskies have dropped 10 of their last 11 road games.

3. Broncos sophomore CB/PR Avery Williams (elbow) is questionable for the contest.

PREDICTION: Boise State 49, Connecticut 16

The post CONNECTICUT vs. BOISE ST 9/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOISE ST vs TROY
When: 6:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Alabama

TV: 6:00 PM
LINE: 10.5
PREDICTION: TROY , BOISE ST

Oddsmakers currently have the TROY listed as 10.5 point favorites versus the BOISE ST, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.5.

The post BOISE ST vs. TROY 9/1/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Brigham Young produced a stellar ending when it defeated Boise State last season but the Cougars don’t want to rely on another late-game prayer.

The No. 14 Broncos would like to avoid another dose of anguish as they attempt to bolster their resume.

Boise State (6-0) aims to remain unbeaten as well as avenge last year’s stunning defeat when it hosts BYU (4-3) in a nonconference game on the blue turf on Thursday night (10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN).

The Broncos were one play from a victory last season when Cougars quarterback Tanner Mangum — who is from the Boise suburb of Eagle, Idaho — threw a 35-yard, fourth-down ‘Hail Mary’ pass to Mitchell Juergens to give BYU a four-point lead with 45 seconds left.

Free safety Kai Nacua added a 50-yard interception return to punctuate the Cougars’ unlikely 35-24 victory.

The comeback hasn’t been forgotten — on either side — and the BYU players are well aware the welcome mats won’t be rolled out in Boise.

“Playing in Boise will be kind of a hostile environment, but I’m excited to go there and play,” sophomore linebacker Francis Bernard said.

The Cougars arrive with a three-game winning streak that includes back-to-back victories over Michigan State and Mississippi State. BYU also provides a much-needed challenge for the Broncos, who are the second-highest ranked team from a non-power conference behind No. 11 Houston.

Boise State defeated Pac-12 programs Washington State and Oregon State earlier this season. And a win over BYU would certainly increase the school’s chances of landing a Cotton Bowl bid as the top team from a non-power league.

The Broncos realize the Cougars might be the best team left on their schedule. Boise State is 4-2 in the previous six meetings between the schools.

“I think there is a rivalry there,” senior receiver Thomas Sperbeck said. “We’re definitely looking forward to it, especially on a short week. It will be a great challenge for our team.”

Thursday could prove to a memorable night for Sperbeck, who has 38 receptions (six for touchdowns) while compiling a Mountain West-leading 701 receiving yards. He has 3,030 career yards, which ranks third in Boise State history behind Titus Young (3,063 from 2007-10) and Matt Miller (3,049 from 2011-14).

Broncos running back Jeremy McNichols is coming off a momentous occasion. The junior rushed for a career-best 217 yards — his second 200-yard outing of the season — during Saturday’s 28-23 victory over Colorado State.

McNichols’ 40-carry night was highlighted by an 80-yard scoring run — the third of at least that length in his college career. He has rushed for 775 rushing yards this season and has caught 20 passes for 263 yards.

BYU also features a stellar running back in senior Jamaal Williams, who became the school’s all-time leading rusher during Friday’s 28-21 double-overtime victory over Mississippi State.

Williams (3,468 yards) surpassed Harvey Unga (3,455 from 2006-09). He has rushed for 942 yards — second-most nationally — and 10 touchdowns this season.

Williams complements senior quarterback Taysom Hill, who has passed for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 324 yards and four scores on the ground.

Hill grew up in the Eastern Idaho town of Pocatello but doesn’t find it to be a special occasion to play in Boise, located in the southwestern part of the state.

“Not really,” Hill said. “It’s Boise State and I grew up watching them, but the Treasure Valley is further away than Provo is to me and Pocatello. It’s fun to go back and play in Idaho against a good program, but every week I am going to prepare the best I can. So in terms of preparation, it’s all the same.”

The Cougars are receiving solid play on the defensive side from Nacua. The senior is tied for the national lead with five interceptions and has 13 in his career.

Bernard rolled up a career-high 16 tackles against Mississippi State to raise his season count to 48. Sophomore middle linebacker Butch Pau’u and junior outside linebacker Fred Warner share the team lead of 51.

BYU will try to slow down Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien, who leads the Mountain West with 1,622 yards and 12 touchdown passes.

Boise State senior defensive end Sam McCaskill leads the Mountain West with 9 1/2 tackles for loss. He is second on the Broncos with five sacks behind sophomore nose tackle David Moa (5 1/2 sacks).

Boise State allowed 20 fourth-quarter points before hanging on against Colorado State but coach Bryan Harsin remains unconcerned.

BYU:
Team record: 4-3 SU,5-2 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Brigham Young is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Brigham Young is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brigham Young’s last 7 games

Boise State:
Team record: 6-0 SU,3-3 ATS
Current Streak: won 6 straight games.
Boise State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boise State’s last 6 games
Boise State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home

The post BYU vs. BOISE ST Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.