Two teams that should be conference rivals meet when the Boise State Broncos host the BYU Cougars Thursday night (9 pm ET ESPN).
Boise State, 2-0 ATS this year, is favored by seven points over the Cougars, who are coming off a 24-21 loss to rival Utah.
The Broncos have won 22 of 23 home games, but have not been a good home bet lately, going just 2-6 ATS.
View BYU vs Boise State Odds and Stats.
Betting Line: If you're going with the Broncos in this one, they were listed as 6.5-point favorites on the betting line for the contest at Sportsbook. The total was 49.5 earlier Thursday at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction: The Power Rankings at OddsShark have the No. 42-rated Cougars taking on the No. 66-rated Broncos in this contest. Handicapping models indicate a 39-33 win for the Cougars on Thursday.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Boise State's No. 84-ranked offense, averaging 26 PPG, against a Cougars defense that ranks No. 20 this week at 14.3 PPG. The Broncos aerial game is averaging 236.5 yards per game, more than the Cougars secondary allows through the air, 188 YPG per game.
In comparing defenses, the Cougars own the league's No. 3-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 49 yards per game when on the road. Boise State, on the other hand, rates No. 18 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
BYU lost its last outing, a 24-21 result against Utah on September 15. BYU failed to cover in that game as a 3.5-point favorite, while the 45 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Cody Hoffman hauled in 8 passes for 120 yards against the Utah defense in the team's last game, but the result was a 24-21 loss against the Utes on Saturday.
Boise State was a 39-12 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Miami (Ohio). They covered the 21.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (51) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. In Boise State's last outing, Joe Southwick threw for 304 yards to lead the Broncos over Miami (Ohio) 39-12 at Bronco Stadium.
BYU Cougars Trends:
When playing in September are 4-6
When playing on turf are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing outside the conference are 8-2
Boise State Broncos Trends:
When playing in September are 10-0
When playing on turf are 9-1
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing outside the conference are 9-1
A few Cougars at Broncos trends to consider:
BYU is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
BYU is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Boise State is 21-1 SU in its last 22 games at home
Boise State is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boise State's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boise State's last 9 games at home
Next up:
BYU home to Hawaii, Saturday, September 29
Boise State at New Mexico, Saturday, September 29
