761 UTAH STATE @ 762 BOISE STATE
Take: 762 BOISE STATE -9
Turn back the clock twelve months, and there’s no chance I’d be making this play. But Stew Morrill is no longer the head basketball coach at Utah State, and the fear of laying a substantial price against the Aggies is no longer the major concern it used to be.
The current Utah State edition has some limitations. The Aggies actually posted the best non-conference record of any MWC team, but that was misleading as they faced a very soft schedule early on and their only good win came against a weary North Dakota State squad. Utah State was no match for the three quality programs they faced, and it’s therefore not a surprise that this team has struggled since league play got rolling.
The Aggies would appear to be arriving in Boise on the wrong night. The Broncos are off back to back losses. They got rolled in the second half last week here in Las Vegas, and followed that up with a home loss to New Mexico. In both instances, Boise State got burned on a regular basis defensively. I’d be very surprised if there’s not a little more focus on that aspect of the game this evening.
Boise State did pretty much what they wanted to in the first meeting with the Aggies. That will often eliminate the possibility of spotting a good sized number in the rematch as complacency become an intangible that often comes into play. But off the two losses, I have to believe we’re going to get a good level of intensity from the Broncos this evening.
That’s really what this come down to. I’ve seen enough of Utah State to have arrived at a determination that, while they’re solid when it comes to handling teams at their own level or below, they aren’t especially capable of stepping up in class and getting the same results. If Boise State is again lethargic on the defensive end, then anything can happen. But off the back to back defeats in what can only be described as less than inspired efforts, I expect a good Broncos showing tonight. If that’s the case, this should be a comfortable win for the hosts. I’ll lay it with Boise State.
--
My CBB Grinder: Two 2* Best Bets package is ready. Also check out my 1 Month NBA Access Flash Sale. Today is last day to save 80% on my NBA Access for the next month!