Colorado State vs. Fresno State Prediction
Fresno State kicked off its 2020 season last week with a home loss to Hawaii and now the Bulldogs are home underdogs to Colorado State on Thursday night at 10:00 p.m. ET. Will the Bulldogs rebound with a win or are the Rams a better bet to cover?
Game Snapshot
157 Colorado State Rams (-1.5) at 158 Fresno State Bulldogs (+1.5); o/u 59
Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA
10:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, October 29, 2020
TV: CBSSN
Colorado State Rams Game Notes
Colorado State HC Steve Addazio said on Tuesday that he doesn’t feel an urgent need to name a starting quarterback due to the possibility that someone could miss a game. Redshirt juniors Patrick O’Brien, Todd Centeio and Justice McCoy were all listed as possible options on the depth chart released ahead of what should have been Colorado State’s season opener vs. New Mexico. But with that game being canceled due to state-instituted COVID-19 protocols that the Lobos have to abide by, the competition extended for another week. On Tuesday Addazio cited the unpredictable nature of this season as a reason for his not naming a starter, and O’Brien (6’4/230) missed a significant amount of time in preseason camp for undisclosed reasons. All three have taken first-team reps in practice, and it looks likely that a starter won’t be declared before Colorado State’s matchup with Fresno State Thursday night.
Fresno State Bulldogs Game Notes
Fresno State redshirt junior QB Jake Heiner completed 17-of-31 passes for 289 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in Saturday’s 34-19 loss to Hawaii. Credit to Haener for leaving it all out on the field in his first start. Even despite the inconsistency and string of interceptions, he never wavered in trying to take shots down the field to get back in the game. That should prove valuable later on in the year. However, in this game, Haener’s aggression tipped too far over into recklessness and hurt Fresno State’s chances to keep this one close in the second half. Haener is a recent transfer from Washington who has only had one offseason with the Bulldogs, so perhaps some live reps after a couple games can help him settle in. Fresno State face Colorado State next week.
Colorado State vs. Fresno State Betting Prediction
The Rams have covered five of their last seven games versus the Bulldogs and are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games when listed as a favorite. They’re also 4-0 against the number in their last four games when playing a team with a losing record, are 7-3 at the betting window in their last 10 conference games and are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are just 2-6-1 against the spread in their last nine games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game, are 1-4 against the number in their last five games dating back to last season and are winless at 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 9 BETTING PREDICTION: COLORADO STATE RAMS -1.5
