Will Boise State Begin Conference Play On High Note?
Check Out Our San Jose vs Boise State Scores & Predictions for Friday's Conference Matchup
The Boise State Broncos will begin their Mountain West conference journey with a road game against the San Jose State Spartans.
San Jose State is 7-7 on the year but lost its first matchup in the Moutain West against Wyoming on the road, 75-73.
The Spartans will be looking for their first win in the conference. Meanwhile, Boise State has won six of their last seven games. The Broncos lost to Washington State earlier in December in a semi-road game. However, earlier this season, they earned wins against San Francisco, VCU, Saint Mary’s, and North Texas.
The Broncos have some solid wins on their resume as they continue to play themselves into a potential March Madness bid.
The easiest way to make March Madness is by winning the conference. That journey starts tonight on FS1.
Although Boise State is on the road, the Broncos are still favorites in this game, sitting at -5. Meanwhile, the total is currently 142 between these two teams.
Below, we’ll provide our San Jose vs Boise State scores & predictions for this late-night Mountain West matchup.
Boise State vs San Jose State 
Location: Friday, January 5, 10:30 p.m. ET
Day/Time:
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
San Jose vs Boise State Trends
We’ll provide our projected San Jose vs Boise State scores & predictions. But first, let’s look at some trends.
San Jose State has gone 7-6 against the spread but has hit the Over in nine of 13 games this season in D1 matchups.
The Spartans haven’t won a game on the road, but they’re 5-1 at home, which is where they’ll be playing tonight.
On the other hand, Boise State is 7-0 at home but just 0-1 on the road. The rest of the Broncos’ games have been on a neutral court.
Boise State is below .500 against the spread but has hit the Over in one more game than the Under this year.
The Broncos have made light work of the Spartans over the last five years. However, San Jose State earned a shocking 74-68 win over Boise State last year in overtime to break a long losing streak against Boise State.
San Jose State has been an underdog in each of the last ten games but has covered in four straight against Boise State.
The Start Of A New Season For Boise State
Non-conference matchups are fun. However, the real season doesn’t start until conference play begins.
Those games in November and December count toward teams trying to make the NCAA Tournament. But it doesn’t count toward seeding in conference tournaments.
Essentially, Boise State is back to 0-0. Their record in the Mountain West will define their season. Not the 9-4 record that they had previously.
The Broncos are looking for a top seed in the Mountain West Conference this season. That would help them get through a typically tricky conference. The winner of the Mountain West will move on into March Madness with an automatic bid.
The Broncos are currently projected to finish in the middle of the conference. A strong start to conference play tonight would help them.
San Jose State’s Epic Fail
The San Jose State Spartans fell to Wyoming 75-73 in their first conference game of the season. The Spartans ultimately led in that game for most of the way. They were even up by 17 points in the first half.
After a two-week break, the Spartans looked healthy and fresh. But eventually, Wyoming stormed back as Akuel Kot hit the game-winning jumper to give Wyoming the win.
That game won’t leave a good taste in the Spartans’ mouths. But they’ll want to forget about that game, put it behind them, and regroup for this next game against Boise State.
There is still plenty of basketball to be played. The Spartans just can’t let that happen again.
Boise State Will Be Dominant On The Glass
The San Jose State Spartans are a solid shooting team. They’ve nailed 35.4% from three and 53.8% from inside the arc.
However, the Spartans are terrible on the offensive glass. San Jose State has added 23.5% of offensive rebounds, which currently ranks 323rd in all of college basketball.
Beyond that, San Jose State isn’t getting to the foul line often. And even when they do, the Spartans have hit just 67% from the foul line.
If San Jose State has a poor shooting night, it’s likely over for them. With Boise State holding teams to 29.8% from three and 50.2% from two, it’s likely that San Jose State doesn’t have as much success from downtown in this game.
Don’t expect much out of the San Jose State offense, with the Broncos holding teams to 25% offensive rebounds and a 48.5% effective field goal percentage.
On the other hand, Boise State is facing a much worse defense. The Spartans have allowed 33.9% from three and 48.5% from inside the arc. While Boise State might not have the best opportunity down low, the Broncos should have success from deep, shooting 34.9% from three this season.
The Broncos will also get to the foul line more often and don’t have to worry about turning the ball over, knowing San Jose State has added just 16.7% of turnovers this season.
There’s not a massive slate for tonight’s 2024 college basketball games. But after paying attention to all of the NCAAB line movements and NCAAB standings, our San Jose vs Boise State scores & predictions conclude that Boise State will escape with the win and cover against the spread at -5 (-110).
For NCAAB betting news, college basketball predictions, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
