The Nevada Wolf Pack and the Colorado State Rams are slated to square off in the Arizona Bowl. Colorado State (7-5) is on a four-game winning streak, while Nevada (6-6) has been defeated in two of its last three. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec 29 and will be available on AMSN and CI.
Colorado State just barely got past Fresno State 34-31 in its last game. Izzy Matthews had a big game running the ball in the win, rushing 18 times for 140 yards and one TD. Nevada is hoping for a different outcome after losing to San Diego State 31-14. Jerico Richardson had a huge game for the Wolf Pack, totaling six receptions for 106 yards. Hasaan Henderson put up 85 receiving yards on three catches.
Colorado State is a small three-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 54 points.
Heading into this bowl game, the Rams are 7-5 Straight Up (SU) and 6-6 Against The Spread (ATS). In their five most recent matchups, the Rams went 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. The Colorado State running game is averaging 239.6 rushing yards during its last five matchups. Transitioning to the Colorado State defense, there are some things to keep in mind when it is on the field. Expect the Rams defense to restrict Nevada’s passing attack. The Rams have the 20th-ranked pass defense in the nation and give up only 186.2 passing yards per game.
On the other side, the Wolf Pack head into this bowl game with records of 7-5 ATS and 6-6 SU. Over their last five games, the Wolf Pack have a SU record of 3-2 and a 4-1 record ATS for those betting with them. The Rams have not found a lot of success stopping their opponents’ running games. The Wolf Pack will look to exploit a run defense that ranks 106th in Division I with 208.1 rushing yards allowed per game. Lately, the Wolf Pack have had a better pass defense. They’re allowing only 165.6 passing YPG over their last five matchups. The Wolf Pack should look out for bad throws against the Rams, who rank 110th in the country in interceptions thrown with 1.2 per game. Yellow flags will likely be a common sight during any game with Colorado State. The Rams are one of the most penalized teams in the country with 7.6 calls per game.
Arizona Bowl Predictions: SU Winner – Colorado State, ATS Winner – Nevada, O/U – Over
Notes
Colorado State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado State’s last 6 games.
Colorado State is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Nevada.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado State’s last 5 games when playing Nevada.
Nevada is 4-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Colorado State is 6-0 SU when leading after three quarters.
The Nevada defense has forced an average of 2.2 turnovers over its last five games. Colorado State is just 1-2 SU this season when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
The Colorado State rushing attack is ranked 35th in the nation, while the Nevada run defense is only ranked 91st. The Wolf Pack rushing game is ranked 29th, compared to the 106th-ranked run defense of the Rams.
