In a game matching two pretty good teams in the WAC 9-2 Louisiana Tech heads out to California to take on 9-2 San Jose State Saturday night (10:30 pm ET, ESPN2).

In the early betting the Spartans, who have won five games in a row, were favored by four points over the Bulldogs, who just lost their chance to win the WAC by falling to Utah State.



View Louisiana Tech vs San Jose State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Fans backing the Spartans here saw them open at Sportsbook as 4.5-point favorites in this college football clash. (Check back shortly for Sportsbook totals at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark as none was available at the time this preview was written.)

Power Rankings / Prediction: The Power Rankings at OddsShark have the No. 70-rated Bulldogs taking on the No. 17-rated Spartans in this contest. Handicapping models indicate a 51-50 win for the Bulldogs on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits San Jose State's No. 35-ranked offense, averaging 33.7 PPG, against a Bulldogs defense that ranks No. 113 this week at 37.3 PPG. The Spartans aerial game is averaging 323.9 yards per game, less than the Bulldogs secondary allows through the air, 338 YPG per game.

In comparing defenses, the Bulldogs own the league's No. 55-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 159 yards per game when on the road. San Jose State, on the other hand, rates No. 103 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

In their last action, Louisiana Tech was a 48-41 loser at home against Utah State. They failed to cover the 3-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (89) was profitable news for OVER bettors. In their last game, Louisiana Tech's aerial attack generated 396 yards but it was the Aggies coming away with a 48-41 victory over Louisiana Tech at Joe Aillet Stadium.

San Jose State won its last outing, a 20-14 result against BYU on November 17. San Jose State covered in that game as a 3-point underdog, while the 34 combined points took the game UNDER the total. David Fales's 305-yard performance through the air was enough last time out, as San Jose State earned a 20-14 win over BYU on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.


Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Trends:
When playing in November are 8-2
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 8-2
When playing within the conference are 9-1

San Jose State Spartans Trends:
When playing in November are 5-5
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 6-4

A few Bulldogs at Spartans trends to consider:
Louisiana Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Louisiana Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Jose State
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Louisiana Tech's last 12 games
Louisiana Tech is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
San Jose State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
San Jose State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose State's last 6 games
San Jose State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Louisiana Tech