The San Jose State Spartans battle the Boise State Broncos this week in a game that will feature the country’s fourth-leading receiver, Thomas Sperbeck (1,289 yards, 8 TDs). A bad season has only gotten worse for the Spartans (5-6), as they have lost two of their last three. The game kicks off Friday, Nov 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on CBSS.
In last week’s matchup, San Jose State defeated Hawaii 42-23. Kenny Potter had a great game through the air in the victory, connecting on 23 of 32 pass attempts for 312 yards and three TDs. He also was a threat in the run game, rushing for 54 yards and two TDs on nine carries. Tyler Ervin had a great game as well, adding 114 rushing yards and a TD on 20 carries. Boise State is hoping for a different outcome after losing to Air Force 37-30. Thomas Sperbeck had a solid performance for the Broncos, pulling in seven receptions for 79 yards and one TD. Jake Roh had 58 receiving yards on four catches.
The Broncos take on the Spartans as a 10-point favorite this week. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently not available.
Sitting at 5-6 Straight Up (SU) and 7-4 Against The Spread (ATS), the Spartans will look to improve heading into Week 13. In their five most recent matchups, the Spartans went 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS. During their last five games, the Spartans have improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 188.6 passing yards. Penalties aren’t likely to cost San Jose State this week’s game. They earn the sixth-fewest penalties among Division I teams, averaging only 4.2 per game.
In the other locker room, the Broncos head into Week 13 with records of 5-6 ATS and 7-4 SU. Over their last five games, the Broncos have a SU record of 2-3 and a 1-4 record ATS for those betting with them. Boise State’s quarterback and wide receivers look to keep their strong passing attack rolling. Over the past five games, they’ve managed an impressive 344.6 yards through the air. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Spartans to keep up with Boise State’s defense in a few areas. The Spartans are matching up with Boise State’s defense at an inopportune time. Over the last five games, Boise State’s opponents have only averaged 232.8 yards through the air. The Spartans might be leery of throwing too often against the Broncos. They rank third in the country in interceptions with 1.8 per game. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Broncos, who average 10.7 points in the first 15 minutes.
Predictions: SU Winner – Boise State, ATS Winner – Boise State
Notes
San Jose State is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Jose State’s last 10 games at home.
San Jose State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boise State.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose State’s last 6 games when playing Boise State.
San Jose State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boise State.
San Jose State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boise State.
Boise State is 7-1 SU when leading at the half this season. San Jose State is 5-2 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Boise State is only 1-3) SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet 5-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The Boise State defense has forced an average of 2.4 turnovers per game this season. San Jose State is just 1-3 SU when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Boise State is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 62nd-ranked rushing attack will face the 110th-ranked run defense of San Jose State, while its 13th-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 48th-ranked running game of the Spartans.
