Boise State vs BYU NCAA Football Picks Against the Spread

Saturday, October 19, 2019

LaVell Edwards Stadium

Jaren Hall and the BYU Cougars play the Boise State Broncos at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, October 19, 2019. Boise State opens this matchup as 6-point favorites. The Broncos are 4-1-1 ATS and 3-3-0 when betting on the total. The Cougars are 2-3-1 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Boise State Broncos faced the Hawaii Warriors and won 59-37. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Broncos was Chase Cord who went 12/18 with 175 yards passing and tossed 3 TD's. He ended the game with no interceptions. Robert Mahone paced the team on the ground for the game. He had a long run of 13 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown for the contest. He ran for a total of 74 yards via 16 carries which had him averaging 4.6 yards per carry. John Hightower was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 141 yards on 7 receptions. He had an average of 20.1 yards per reception for the game. The Broncos ran the ball a total of 39 times and earned a total of 203 yards which had them averaging 5.2 yards per rush. In all, they ran 76 plays which gave them a total of 518 yards. Overall, the Broncos racked up a total of 29 first downs and they had a total of 11 penalties for 95 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. In terms of defense, Boise State allowed 26 completions on 50 attempts totaling 325 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.0%. Against the run, the Broncos allowed 113 yards on 19 carries which gave them an average of 5.9 yards per rushing attempt allowed. On the day, they conceded 438 yards and forced 4 turnovers.

The Broncos come into this game with a record of 6-0 for this year. For total yards, they currently sit at 2nd in the Mountain West and 22nd in the country with 2,929 yards. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation averaging 37 points per game, which has them at 26th in the country. As a unit, they are averaging 166.5 rushing yards per contest which is 6th in the conference. The Broncos have one of the best defenses in Division 1, allowing 19.5 points per contest which has them at 2nd in the MWC. When it comes to passing yards, the Broncos have conceded 1,930 yards. Teams are completing 52.6% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.3 yards per attempt. In regard to rushing yards, Boise State is allowing 125 yards per game putting them 5th in the MWC and 42nd in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.9 yards per rush putting them 6th in the MWC and 54th in Division 1 overall. Overall, they have conceded 750 yards rushing through 6 games.

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In their last game, the BYU Cougars went up against the USF Bulls and were defeated 27-23. Jaren Hall led the team on the ground for the game. His longest run of the day went for 32 yards and he notched 1 touchdown for the game. He scurried for 83 yards via 16 carries which meant he averaged 5.2 yards per run. Talon Shumway was the receiving yardage leader by earning 56 yards on 4 receptions. He earned an average of 14.0 yards per reception for the game. Running the show from under center for the Cougars was Jaren Hall who went 15/23 with 148 yards passing and completed 1 touchdown. He ended the game without an interception. The Cougars ran the ball 55 times and earned 233 yards giving them an average of 4.2 yards per rush. For the game, they ran 88 plays for a total of 454 yards. On the day, the Cougars racked up 26 first downs and they totaled 5 penalties for 40 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When discussing the defense, BYU gave up 7 completions on 14 attempts totaling 72 yards, and a completion percentage of 50.0%. For this contest, they conceded 315 yards and forced 2 turnovers. On the ground, the Cougars gave up 243 yards on 44 attempts which gave them an average of 5.5 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Cougars step onto the field holding a record of 2-4. BYU needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 123.8 yards on the ground per game, putting them 106th in Division 1. As a team, they have a total of 743 yards rushing through 6 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Cougars average 389 yards per game overall putting them 82nd in college football and 3rd among D-1 Independent teams. The Cougars are allowing 30.5 points per game ranking them 4th among Independent teams and 95th in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the top groups in D-1. They are allowing 188.5 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Cougars currently sit at 2nd among Independent teams. In terms of points given up, they have allowed 183 total points. In terms of yards on the ground, they are conceding 224.5 yards per contest ranking them 123rd in Division 1 and 4th among D-1 Independent teams. This year, they have given up a total of 1,347 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Broncos/Cougars college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Cougars +6

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