When the Colorado State Rams host the Boise State Broncos on Saturday, we will likely be watching the new iteration of Pac-12 After Dark (well, middle of the afternoon in Fort Collins, in this case). Both Boise State and Colorado State are new to the reconstituted Pac-12, but both bring the high-scoring profile of the good ol’ days. Boise State is out in front at 7-1 overall and likely to win the conference; if they do, they are likely in the playoffs. Colorado State is on the other end of the spectrum, sitting at 1-3 in conference play and struggling most weeks. The spread sits around 17 points, but the game total should be what catches our eye here. At 68.5, this is the second-highest total on the board (Texas State and Oregon State are higher), and when I see numbers this big, it usually means the books can’t set the number high enough. Give me the over.
Both teams have been “over” teams all season. Boise is 6-2 to the over, while the Rams are 7-1. For the Rams, that mostly has to do with their inept defense. They lost at Utah State last week, 31-14, and that was the first time since September 5 that they held an opponent under 41 points. This week? Boise State has an elite running game that averages over 220 yards per game, while Colorado State has the worst rush defense in all of FBS. Uh oh. Boise tends to give up a lot of points too, so if the Rams contribute much at all, the Broncos should do the rest. This score should go to the moon.
Boise State vs Colorado State Prediction: Over 68.5 (-110) available at the time of publishing. Playable to 72.5.
