Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boise State Broncos: Betting Guide
Boise State has been waiting for three long years to get their revenge against Oklahoma State. The college football odds once again line the Broncos, the home team this time, as the favorite. The Cowboys already beat them in the first meeting between the schools. Can they keep riding their defense and pull it off again?
Game: Oklahoma State Cowboys (2-0) at Boise State Broncos (1-1)
Location: Albertsons Stadium
Date: Saturday,
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Television: FS1
Betting Lines
Team | Point Spread | Moneyline | Over/Under | Team Total |
Oklahoma State | +3½ -110 | +155 | 57½ -110o | |
Boise State | -3½ -110 | -175 | 57½ -110u |
Head to Head
Oklahoma State and Boise State have only faced each other once. In September 2018, the 24th-ranked Cowboys defended home turf and dusted the 17th-ranked Broncos 44-21. It was gangbusters as both schools combined for 836 total yards but only Oklahoma State managed to consistently find the end zone.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Next game: vs Kansas State Wildcats
Last Game
The Cowboys are off to a solid start. They defeated Missouri State and Tulsa, though they failed to cover both spreads. Oklahoma State only managed to beat Tulsa by five points, falling seven points short of seven points of its 11.5-point spread.
Injury Report
Oklahoma State has plenty of banged-up players but only defensive end Trace Ford (knee) is on the injured reserve.
Boise State Broncos
Next game: at Utah State Aggies
Last Game
Two games in and two college football spreads covered. Even if Boise State dropped its opener to Central Florida, it still covered. Against Texas El-Paso (UTEP) last week, the Broncos covered their 25-point spread by thrashing the Miners by 41 points.
Injury Report
Boise State does not have any key injuries.
Betting on the Game
Point Spread
The last time these teams met, Boise State was embarrassed by Oklahoma State. The Broncos were the higher-ranked team and were 2½-point favorites but got outscored by more than twice as much. Three years is a long time ago and the Cowboys will look to win again and cover the 3½ points this time.
BPS was striped. The Cowboy defense sacked Boise State 7 times and held them to 34 rushing yards. Toss in 123 yards from @jhill21_ and 105 from @OfficialTylan2.
It all added up to a wild day in Stillwater. 🔁2018#LetsRide I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/mW3shmD7A0
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) September 15, 2021
The spread opened at 4½ points but fans betting online have moved it closer to the Cowboys. Oklahoma State is only 2-3 against the spread (ATS) in its last five road games. Boise State is 3-1 ATS at home since last season.
The Cowboys have managed to stay unbeaten despite a less-than-stellar offense. The team only averages 4.98 yards per play and commits two turnovers along with 8.5 penalties per game. Thankfully, their defense has been legitimate and has limited opponents to just 4.58 yards per play and a 32.2 percent third-down conversion.
If Oklahoma State hopes to beat Boise State,it will need to stay disciplined and have the defense remain steadfast. But Boise State is another animal at home. It may not be as prolific as last year’s beast, but it ran up 54 points against UTEP despite a ho-hum running game.
Moneyline
Most if not all of the betting action has been on the underdogs here. But the line has not moved on the sportsbook as it remains -175 for Boise State and +155 for Oklahoma State. Several bettors must still have the 2018 matchup fresh in their mind even if the roles were reversed.
Boise State will need to get its running game going to have a more balanced attack. At just 70.5 rushing yards a game, the Broncos are one of the worst running teams. Despite that, they manage to average 5.86 yards per play and can orchestrate some big plays.
The Cowboys’ defense has been solid but it’s not as good at making plays as the Broncos. Boise State’s defense has forced an average of four turnovers. Combined with the Cowboys’ occasionally sloppy play, the Broncos will edge the Cowboys if they get more snaps.
Over/Under
The vast majority of bettors have leaned toward the under. The totals are set at 57½ and have stayed that way despite the one-sided action. They must be looking into the stats as history points to this one being a lower-scoring game than the totals indicate.
Oklahoma State’s last six games as an underdog have gone under while 15 of Boise State’s last 20 games at home on a Saturday have gone under. Interesting stats, but to complicate matters, Boise State’s last four home games have all gone over, including six of its last nine games in total.
The Cowboys are offensively challenged in every aspect. Boise State’s ball-hawking defense could make it even uglier. The visitors’ defense has been saving its bacon for the last two games but this might be the straw that breaks its backs. Still, a one-sided showing from Boise State could still go under if Oklahoma State can’t muster enough points.