Fresno State at Purdue Odds: Ryan Walters Era Begins for Boilermakers

Walters Oversaw one of FBS' Most Formidable Defenses at Illinois

August 29, 2023 242 3 minutes readNCAAF Picks & Parlays

Fresno State at Purdue Odds: Ryan Walters Era Begins for Boilermakers — Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP

Boilermakers Hand the Reins to Walters
Big Expectations Await Reigning MWC Champs
Handicapping the Game

The Purdue Boilermakers will kick off the Ryan Walters Era Saturday against the defending Mountain West Conference champion Fresno State Bulldogs. According to NCAA football against the spreads, Purdue is a 3.5-point favorite (-110) and -170 to win outright, with Fresno State priced +148. The projected total is 47.5.

Read on as we break down both teams in our Fresno State at Purdue odds preview.

Fresno State Bulldogs at Purdue Boilermakers

Day/Time: Saturday, Noon E.T.
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium; West Lafayette, Ind.
Streaming: Big Ten Network

Boilermakers Hand the Reins to Walters

The Purdue Boilermakers looked inside the Big Ten to find Jeff Brohm’s replacement, tabbing Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters as their next head coach. The 37-year-old Walters oversaw one of the country’s top defenses in 2022, finishing the regular season first in fewest points allowed and second in fewest yards allowed in the college football rankings. The Fighting Illini had three defensive players selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, including cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who went No. 5 to Seattle.

Walters — the fourth-youngest coach in FBS at the time of his hire — inherits a quality team. The Boilermakers went 8-6, including 6-3 in conference play, and reached the Big Ten Championship game, losing 43-22 to Michigan. LSU then walloped them 63-7 in the Citrus Bowl.

The departures of quarterback Aidan O’Connell and wide receiver Charlie Jones have limited expectations a bit. Purdue is projected for just 5.5 wins, with the Under juiced to -165. But the Boilermakers do appear to have a suitable replacement under center in Texas transfer Hudson Card, a former-top 40 recruit who will have three years of eligibility remaining. Over the past two seasons, Card passed for 1,523 yards and 11 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. There are fewer answers on defense, where the Boilermakers return just four starters. Keep that in mind when assessing the Fresno State at Purdue odds.

The Boilermakers had three winning seasons under Brohm and went 2-2 in bowl games.

Big Expectations Await Reigning MWC Champs

Quarterback Jake Haener and wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper are both off to the NFL, leaving the Fresno State Bulldogs with big shoes to fill from their Mountain West Conference championship team. UCF transfer Mikey Keene will take over under center after passing for 2,377 yards and 23 touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Expectations remain high for Fresno State despite the aforementioned departures. The Bulldogs are projected for 8.0 wins, with a -140 lean to the Over, and are +360 to defend their Mountain West title. At the moment, only Boise State (+180) has better conference odds.

Defense should be a strength for Jeff Tedford’s team. Seven starters return from a unit that allowed only 19.4 points a game. While the Bulldogs did lose safety Evan Williams, who transferred to Oregon, Tedford has proven to be resourceful and capable of adapting on the fly.

The Bulldogs finished last season with 10 wins and an LA Bowl victory, their second bowl win in as many years on the NCAAF schedule. They concluded the season ranked 24th in the Associated Press poll.

Handicapping the Game

Fresno State is no pushover. But you probably knew that already. Year-in, year-out, the Bulldogs are one of the country’s most competitive Group of Five programs. They’ve won at least 10 games in four of the last six seasons, with a 4-0 record in bowl games during that stretch. It is impressive.

That said, this is a tough assignment. Walters did wonders at Illinois, and it should only be a matter of time before his impact begins showing in his new gig. The Boilermakers will have a difficult time getting back to the Big Ten Championship game, especially without O’Connell, but there’s enough talent left in the cupboard to exceed expectations and return to a bowl game. Being at home, the Boilermakers should be slightly favored in the Fresno State at Purdue odds.

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