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.

UCF vs CONNECTICUT
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, August 30, 2018
Where: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 23
PREDICTION: CONNECTICUT , UCF

Oddsmakers currently have the CONNECTICUT listed as 23 point favorites versus the UCF, while the game’s total is sitting at 73.

Central Florida may be hard-pressed to match its magical undefeated 2017 season, but the Knights begin a new campaign Thursday night at Connecticut in an American Athletic Conference battle expecting to make noise again. Junior quarterback McKenzie Milton, who was eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting last year, leads the way for 23rd-ranked UCF and former Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel takes over as coach.

“Every quarter or every phase of our offseason has gotten better and better,” Heupel, who replaced Scott Frost after he moved on to Nebraska, told reporters. “There’s a little bit of uneasiness, naturally, when you go into a new phase because they don’t know exactly what to expect. … and they’ve transitioned really well.” Milton threw for 37 touchdowns and ran for another eight last season as the Knights averaged a nation-best 48.2 points, capped by a 34-27 Peach Bowl victory over Auburn, and he still has plenty of weapons to use against an inexperienced UConn defense. Coach Randy Edsall begins the second season of his second stint with the Huskies and needs to replace nine starters on defense, but has told reporters this freshman class may be the best he has ever had at UConn. The Huskies’ offense is more seasoned with senior David Pindell taking over full time at quarterback after he passed for more than 200 yards in the last three games of 2017, including 201 against UCF.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: UCF -23

ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA (2017: 13-0): Missouri finished in the top 10 in the nation for total offense last year under Heupel, a former Oklahoma quarterback, and Milton should prosper despite losing his top receiver Tre’Quan Smith to the NFL. Junior All-Conference center Jordan Johnson anchors the offensive line for the Knights, who return sophomore Otis Anderson and junior Adrian Killins Jr. (790 rushing yards) at running back along with junior receiver Dredrick Snelson (46 catches, 695 yards, eight TDs). New defensive coordinator Randy Shannon must replace some key people, but senior linebacker Pat Jasinski (104 tackles) and senior safety Kyle Gibson (four interceptions) are back to lead.

ABOUT CONNECTICUT (2017: 3-9): Edsall told reporters of Pindell: “He seems a lot faster, looks a lot faster than what he was a year (ago). Not a guy that talks a lot, but the kid is really respected, and he’s a hard worker.” The Huskies return their top rusher in sophomore Kevin Mensah (561 yards, four TDs), but redshirt freshman Zavier Scott from Texas was listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart. Senior Hergy Mayala (43 catches, 615 yards, seven TDs in 2017) keys the receiving corps that includes five players (also tight end Aaron McLean and wideouts Keyion Dixon, Quayvon Skanes and Tyraiq Beals) who registered at least 30 receptions last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UCF WR Tre Nixon is added to the mix after transferring from Ole Miss where he spent two seasons – one as a redshirt.

2. UConn sophomore CB Tyler Coyle is the top returnee on defense after recording two interceptions and 67 tackles in 2017.

3. The Knights have won three of the five previous meetings, including a 49-24 triumph last year in Orlando, Fla.

PREDICTION: UCF 48, UConn 21

The post UCF vs. CONNECTICUT 8/30/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Powe was helped off the ice after a frightening collision with Washington’s Matt Hendricks early in the second period of the Rangers’ 2-1 win against the Capitals on Sunday.

“I missed him right away on the bench, especially protecting a lead,” Tortorella said. “I don’t know how long he’s going to be out. He doesn’t have the stats, but it’s not always about the stats. He’s done a lot of good things in his role.”

Powe was said to be feeling better a day after the collision. He appeared to be unconscious after the hit and was down on the ice for several minutes looking dazed, and the team is handling the injury with caution.

Down one of their best penalty killers, the Rangers recalled physical forward Brandon Mashinter from the team’s AHL club, the Connecticut Whale. It is not yet clear whether Mashinter will make his debut or whether Chris Kreider will play in place of Powe in Tuesday’s game against Montreal.

“I’ve been interested to look at Mashinter. He’s an interesting one to me, but I’m not sure,” Tortorella said. “I’m not sure what the lineup’s going to be. A number of things come into play.”

Both skaters practiced with the team Monday.

Mashinter, 24, has five goals and six assists in 14 games this season for the Whale. He previously played 13 NHL games for the San Jose Sharks in 2010-11.

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