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The TCU Boise State line was coming in at -14 (you can bet this game online here)
No. 5 Boise State will get its toughest test of the season when 7-2 TCU steps on the blue turf on Saturday afternoon in what is being billed as the unofficial Mountain West championship game.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: BSU -15 & 58
Opening Line & Total: Cowboys -14.5 & 58
This will be the teams’ first regular-season meeting, having played each other in three bowls since 2003, including the 2010 Fiesta Bowl that Boise won 17-10. Horned Frogs QB Casey Pachall (19 TD, 5 INT) and RB Ed Wesley (528 rushing yards in five games) have their team riding a four-game win streak, while Broncos QB Kellen Moore continues his Heisman push with 2,229 yards, 29 TD and 5 INT this season. Moore has thrown at least 2 TD in 21 straight games, but has zero touchdowns in two meetings with the Frogs. TCU is a hard team to blow out, having not lost by more than a touchdown since Oklahoma wacked them 35-10 in September 2008. And Boise has been a woeful home bet recently, going 3-8 ATS in its past 11 games on the blue turf, including 0-3 ATS this season.
TCU has won 21 straight conference games, and rushed for a season-high 390 yards in last week’s 31-20 win over Wyoming. Waymon James led the way with 181 yards on just 12 carries (15.1 YPC), but Wesley had 120 yards and two touchdowns while Matthew Tucker also scored twice and ran for 90 yards on 12 carries (7.5 YPC). The Frogs turned the ball over five times though, and allowed the Cowboys to throw for 247 yards.
Boise State also won big last week, punishing UNLV 48-21 on the road. Moore threw five touchdown passes, with two going to Tyler Shoemaker and two going to Matt Miller. However, the Broncos’ best RB, Doug Martin, suffered a leg injury and may not be able to play on Saturday. Martin (756 rushing yards, 5.5 YPC) was replaced by senior D.J. Harper who rushed for 109 yards on just 13 carries (8.4 YPC), and scored on a 36-yard TD run. Boise’s also got some injury concerns on the defensive side of the ball as DE Billy Winn and CB Jamar Taylor (leg) were unable to play against UNLV and may not suit up again on Saturday. The Broncos failed to force a turnover for the first time this season, having tallied 17 takeaways in the first seven games this year.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
