Boise State vs. UNLV prediction, pick, odds, spread: Broncos, Rebels collide for Mountain West title yet again
Boise State and UNLV are set to meet up in the Mountain West Championship Game for the third-straight season
By
Tom Fornelli
•
2 min read
If you feel like this is a movie you've seen before, it's because you have. Boise State and UNLV will meet in the Mountain West Championship Game for the third straight season, but you don't even have to go back to last December to find their last meeting. It's not only a rematch of the last couple of Mountain West Championships, but a rematch of a game we saw back in Week 8.
Boise State won that contest 56-31, and like the rematch, the game was played on the blue turf of Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.
The first meeting was close for a half, as Boise State took a 28-24 lead into the locker room at halftime, but it was all Broncos from there. They came out with four straight touchdowns to extend their lead to 56-24 before the Rebels tacked on a score in the final minutes to make it 56-31.
Will the rematch resemble the first half of that one, or the second?
Boise State vs. UNLV: Need to know
The computers chose this matchup: There was a four-way tie for first place in the Mountain West this season between Boise State, UNLV, San Diego State and New Mexico. That meant the league had to make its way down the tie-breaker checklist to the part that used the composite of four different computer rankings to break the tie. It was Boise State and UNLV who fared the best in those rankings.
Boise State has had the better end of this rivalry: We've gone over the recent history between these two in the conference title game, and you can bet UNLV is never excited to see the Broncos. Boise State has won the last 10 meetings, and 12 of the 15 in school history. UNLV's last win over Boise State came nearly 50 years ago in 1976.
This will be the last time these teams face off in the Mountain West Championship: And as we just went over, that's music to UNLV's ears. This will be Boise State's final game as a member of the Mountain West. Next season the Broncos are moving to the new-look Pac-12. They'll be joined by fellow Mountain West counterparts Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State. Texas State will join from the Sun Belt, and those schools, along with Oregon State and Washington State, will make up the new league. UNLV is remaining in the Mountain West, which will add Northern Illinois and UTEP as football members to replace the departing schools.
Where to watch Boise State vs. UNLV live
Date: Friday, Dec. 5 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Albertsons Stadium -- Boise, Idaho
TV: Fox | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Boise State vs. UNLV prediction, picks
Boise State dominated the first meeting, and since I like UNLV's chances to pull off an upset in the rematch, I'd prefer to go after the moneyline than the spread. The way I see things the Broncos either win big again, or lose outright, so I'll pass up on the 3.5 points. Pick: UNLV (+158)
Who will win and cover in each conference championship game? Legendary Vegas expert Bruce Marshall is on a 43-36 roll on college football picks. Visit SportsLine now to see all his college football picks.
