MWC Championship Game Prediction
The Fresno State Bulldogs will get another crack at the Boise State Broncos, this time in the MWC Championship Game tonight at 7:45 p.m. ET. The bad news? Fresno State will have to do it on the blue turf again. Will the Bulldogs rise to the occasion this time around?
Game Snapshot
317 Fresno State Bulldogs at 318 Boise State Broncos
7:45 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 1, 2018
Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Broncos are 1-point favorites to beat the Bulldogs. The total, meanwhile, sits at 52.5 points. As of this writing, 63% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Broncos.
Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State senior QB Marcus McMaryion completed 20-of-29 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-13 victory over San Jose State on Saturday. McMaryion really struggled in the first half, and the Bulldogs lead lowly San Jose State by just a 3-0 score. The second half was much better, as he was able to find unheralded star KeeSean Johnson often, and he found Johnson and Ronnie Rivers for touchdowns. McMaryion frustrates, but the former Oregon State quarterback has been a steady factor in helping Fresno State resurgence. We’ll see him again in the MWC championship next Saturday.
Boise State Broncos
Boise State senior QB Brett Rypien completed 23-of-32 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown in Saturday’s 33-24 win over Utah State. Rypien (6’2/202) now has 21 300-yard passing games in his career, which is a new Mountain West record, but this was a huge team win to get to the Mountain West Championship Game highlighted by running back Alexander Mattison’s 37-carry, 200-yard and three-touchdown performance. For Rypien, it’s another solid effort ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, and this one was against a quality Utah State defense. On the season, the senior quarterback has 29 passing touchdowns and only seven interceptions with a solid 8.6 yards per attempt average. NFL scouts will be watching him against Fresno State and in Boise State’s bowl game.
Betting Trends
Fresno State
The Bulldogs have covered the spread in 14 of their last 17 games against a team with a winning record.
Boise State
The Bulldogs are 4-1-1 against the number in their last six games overall.
Prediction
I faded Fresno State a few weeks ago as a small road favorite against Boise State but this time around, I like the Bulldogs to cash. They’re 13-3-1 against the spread in their last 17 road games, are 20-6-1 against the number in their last 27 conference games and are 25-7-1 ATS in their last 33 games overall. Fresno State held a 17-10 lead in that loss to Boise State earlier this year before Brett Rypien led a fourth-quarter comeback. Just like in the Memphis-UCF game, I like the team in a revenge spot.
MWC Championship Game Prediction: Fresno State Bulldogs +1