The Boise State Broncos look to sew up the Mountain West division title Friday when they meet conference rival UNLV. The Runnin Rebels are winless on the season at 0-5 and are mired in the basement of the the Mountain West West division. The Rebels have just been getting blown out this season, so it's no shock that the 4-1 Broncos are huge favorites. Boise State pounded the Rebels last year 35-13, covering as 25 point favorites. Can the Rebels somehow cover against a banged up Boise State team?
Boise State game cancelled due to COVID
The Boise State Broncos had a huge game scheduled for last week. They were due to take on Mountain West West division leader San Jose State at home. San Jose State is 4-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference. Boise State leads the Mountain West Mountain division with a record of 4-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. But due to a rash of COVID-19 cases on Bose State's campus, the game was cancelled a day earlier and it will not be made up. Boise State has been nursing some injuries so the week off may help in that respect.It also could be a good thing for Boise State as they got to avoid one of the toughest teams on their schedule. Now they have one of the easiest games on their schedule against UNLV. Boise State has one of the best offenses in the country, averaging 40 points per game, which ranks 13th in the nation. They are 43rd in passing yards, led by quarterback Hank Bachmeier. Khalil Shakir is his favorite target. Boise State's last win was a 40-32 win over Hawaii and in that game Shakir had 11 catches for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.
UNLV has had a rough year
It has just been one of those years for UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels are 0-5 on the year and they are certain to be 0-6 after this game. Most of their games have been blowout losses. :Last week they lost by 31 points to Wyoming by the score of 45-14. Their closes game was a 40-27 loss to Fresno State. The good news is that they have been pretty healthy, but the bad news is they are just not very good.In the loss to Wyoming, they got run on for nearly 400 yards, 399 to be exact. Quarterback Max Gillam only passed for 65 yards with an interception and ran for 63 yards and a touchdown. As a team, the Rebels only average 16 points per game, which ranks 112th in the country. Defensively they are just as bad, giving up 38 points per game, which ranks 113th nationally. They are dreadful against the run, allowing 250 yards per game on the ground.
Stats & Trends
- Broncos are 3-2 against the spread
- Runnin' Rebels are 0-4-1 against the spread.
The Pick
Take Boise State here giving up the points. This is a huge spread but I still think it's an easy cover for Boise State. UNLV has been getting crushed all year. Last week they lost at home to Wyoming by 35 points. Last year they lost to Boise State by 25 points. Here's the thing, Boise State has one of the best offenses in the nation, averaging 40 points per game. UNLV has a terrible defense and gives up 38 points per game. Boise State could get 50 in this one and win by more than 30 points. UNLV will not be able to stop Boise State whether they pass it or run it and their anemic offense won't muster much of an attack -- certainly not enough to cover.