Marshall Thundering Herd at Boise State Broncos Week 2 Pick

By Keith F

Date: 06/09/2019 9:00 pm

Location: Albertson’s Stadium

TV: TBA

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Boise State -12

Total: OFF

Two of the most storied mid-major programs will do battle Friday night under the lights on the famous “Smurf Turf” when the Boise State Broncos (1-0) welcome the Marshall Thundering Herd (1-0) for a marquee early season match-up. Kick-off time is 9:00 PM ET on Friday, September 6th, 2019. The Herd and the Broncos have not met since 1994 in Boise where the Broncos defeated the Thundering Herd 28-24. The Broncos cashed in closing as a Pick-Em in the aforementioned collision.

Tip: Successful sports bettors are very adapt in finding the best lines to wager. How do they do this? By having multiple sportsbook accounts. Some betting sites that have more recreational bettors may add an extra half point on the favorite (-3.5 for example) while a sportsbook that caters more to the sharp players may hold the line (-3).

With the first week of college football books, we got off to a good start with Hawaii taking us to the window as an 11-point dog when the Rainbow Warriors won outright defeating the Arizona Wildcats 45-38. On the back-end, we fell prey to a couple of hard-luck losses as Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State both led by touchdowns in their respective fixtures until they ran out of gas in the second half of play, losing by touchdowns in both their contests. With Week 2 on the horizon, we have a selection of plays that look primed to get the job done.

Marshall Thundering Herd at Boise State Broncos Key Injury Concerns

Marshall linebacker Jaquan Yulee will be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a broken neck in the Herd’s 56-17 win over VMI. Yulee is an essential component of Marshall’s defense as he is known for bringing a physical presence. Boise State will be playing this game with the same cast of characters it did against Florida State with no notable injuries to report.

Marshall Thundering Herd at Boise State Broncos Overview

Marshall Thundering Herd

As mentioned, the Thundering Herd coasted to a 56-17 victory in Huntington on Saturday when they hosted the Virginia Military Institute. Despite winning this game with little resistance, the Herd failed to cover as heavy chalk, closing as a 44-point favorite at the closing bell. Dating back to last season, the Herd have greened up just once over the span of their previous five outings.

Boise State Broncos

The Broncos were one of the most talked-about stories on opening weekend. Closing as a 6.5-point pup, Boise State staged an outright 36-31 upset of the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee which in itself will produce a market presence now for the Broncos. However, the manner in which Boise State pulled off the victory was incredulous. Trailing by as much as 18 points, BSU came from behind to nose in front of FSU, and they never looked back once they took the lead late in the second half.

Reasons To Back Marshall Thundering Herd

Marshall comes into this contest due for a cover and given the overreaction element that will accompany Boise State into this contest; we have to like their prospects. 82% of the consensus is all over the Broncos at the moment, and there is little reason to wonder why. Boise State pulled off one of the most noteworthy results in Week One while Marshall failed to cover yet again as an overpriced favorite. The scenario sets up a quintessential buy-low and sell-high situation that we can take advantage of should we back the Herd.

Reasons To Avoid Boise State Broncos

Boise State could very easily enter into this contest flatter than many hope to barter for. After all, the emotional wear and tear of coming back down 18 points in a notably hostile environment against a Power Five opponent could leave the Broncos feeling a bit zapped heading into this contest. Playing this game on one day less of rest and recuperation will not help their cause.

Get more details: Marshall at Boise State NCAAF Match-up Stats

Marshall at Boise State Prediction 9/6/19

In my humble opinion, Boise State was set up to pull off the shocker that they did on Saturday as they were up against a “name-brand” team in Florida State that will be favored more by hype and namesake than actual quality. Given what happened last year when Boise State traveled to Oklahoma State where they had their doors blown off, the Broncos came in once again as the underdog that the public sneered at. This role is one that the Broncos have enjoyed occupying and done exceptionally well in. Now, BSU is on the flip-side as everyone expects big things from them. In essence, the hunter becomes the hunted.

On the contrary, Marshall is not being given much of a chance. In finding value, we see Boise State swing essentially 19.5 points from a near-touchdown pooch to a double-digit favorite. Contrarily, Marshall went from a massive 44-point favorite to now a double-digit dog, in essence, creating a 56-point swing on the Herd. That in itself should say where my money is going. However, I expect this game to be a nip-and-tuck affair that Marshall could easily pull the upset. Nevertheless, this one will be close, and I cannot see Boise winning this by more than a touchdown, no matter what. Grab the points.

Free Pick: Take Marshall +12