The Huskies will wrap up their season in Los Angeles as they tackle the Mountain West champion Boise State Broncos within the Chris Petersen Bucked Up LA Bowl, offered by Gronk! Our employees has their picks beneath!
Andrew Berg (11-1 SU, 4-8 ATS)
There is room for debate as regards to how good Boise St actually is. If you imagine in them, you in all probability level out that they hammered UNLV twice and beat New Mexico to offer them three wins over groups with 9+ wins on the 12 months. You in all probability additionally level to their protection, ranked thirteenth nationally in success price and third towards dropback passes. The offense additionally received QB Maddux Madsen again within the CCG, and even when he’s not spectacular, he offers the offense a lift. If you don’t imagine in them, you may say that they scored precisely 7 factors 4 instances towards (arguably) the 4 greatest groups on the schedule, Notre Dame, South Florida, San Diego St, and Fresno St. You may additionally say that the protection is overrated by success price and is just fiftieth nationally in SP+ and thirty ninth in EPA/play. Whether you might be excessive or low on Boise, it’s clear that UW should give attention to the run sport after they have the ball. While Boise’s protection has been good total, they don’t deal with effectively. They rank very poorly on yards after contact and EPA when the QB scrambles. These areas are each strengths for the Dawgs. If Jonah Coleman is wholesome, he ought to be capable of finish his collegiate profession on a excessive word. If not, Adam Mohammed has earned by belief towards higher rush defenses than this one. Defensively, the Huskies have improved via the 12 months. They should keep their development towards the run as a result of Boise will wish to give attention to 1,000-yard rusher Dylan Riley. The Broncos haven’t been an important huge-play offense, so there will probably be a lot of third down and pink zone alternatives the place the Huskies should make performs to finish drives. Overall, I see the sport nearer than the 9.5 level unfold, however I believe the Huskies pull it out.
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Washington 27, Boise St- 21
Max Vrooman (9-3 SU, 3-9 ATS)
The extremely early bowl slot admittedly means I haven’t gotten to consider this matchup in as a lot element as I usually would. But the important is that Boise State is nowhere near the staff they have been a season in the past after they had Ashton Jeanty regardless of profitable a third straight Mountain West championship. The Broncos rank fiftieth at SP+ with the forty ninth ranked offense and the fiftieth ranked protection. They sort of simply are who they’re. QB Maddux Madsen was extra of a sport supervisor in 2024 with defenses targeted on the working sport and he didn’t a serious step ahead this 12 months. Injury was a part of that as he missed mainly 4 video games however he had extra turnover-worthy performs than huge-time throws per PFF for the third straight season. The working sport finally hit its stride as Boise had 3 backs with 400+ yards on 5+ yards per carry every mix to go over 2,000 whole yards. That checks out as the one Boise offensive gamers to make MWC all-convention 1st staff have been a pair of offensive lineman (RB Dylan Riley was 2nd staff). The Boise entrance seven was missing in elite play makers. Only 5 BSU gamers had multiple sack and none had greater than seven. The energy of the protection is within the secondary as every of their beginning corners completed with 4 interceptions and held opponents to a 55% or much less completion share when focused. Washington must be simply as wholesome as they’ve been in over a month until there was a brand new damage in follow this week we don’t find out about. This is a Boise protection that isn’t nearly as good as those which have given the Huskies issues and UW has typically vaporized the much less proficient defenses on their schedule. I’ll give Boise a bit extra credit score than that however I’m feeling an unwarranted quantity of optimism right here.
Washington- 34, Boise State, 17
Mark Schafer (8-4 SU, 1-11 ATS)
It’s time for an exceptionally early bowl sport in Los Angeles! The Huskies come into this one basically off of a bye week, and must be the healthiest they’ve been in a number of weeks, with no choose outs that often cloud video games like this. But they’re dealing with a Boise State staff that has received their final 3 convention championships, with an offense that’s fairly proficient, led by Maddux Madsen. But Madsen hasn’t taken the leap that was anticipated this season, and sits at a reasonably pedestrian 2283 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Likewise, receiver Latrell Caples paced the staff with 46 catches, 547 yards and three touchdowns, which can also be fairly middling. However, they shouldn’t be underestimated, and the true risk for the Broncos is the three headed monster at working again, led by thousand yard rusher Dylan Riley. The staff as an entire is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, so the defensive linemen, edges and linebackers should be disciplined and push again towards this offensive line, if they’re to win this sport. But from what I’ve seen from this protection over the previous few weeks, that’s a problem that they’re up for!
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Offensively, these Dawgs should overcome Boise State’s corners, however with Denzel Boston hopefully absolutely wholesome, and an entire host of different threats on the disposal of Demond Williams, they need to be okay within the move sport. Otherwise, they need to lean on both Jonah Coleman or Adam Mohammed (each having had nice days towards higher run defenses) and bully the Broncos up entrance, and ship Jonah to the NFL on word. Overall, I see a win for the Dawgs, as a pair late touchdowns enable them to drag away, and win the ultimate LA Bowl comfortably!
Washington-35, Boise State-17
Prediction Stats
Straight Up: Washington–3, Boise State-0
Against the Spread: Washington-2, Boise State-1
Average Score: Washington–32, Boise State–18
Let us know your picks within the feedback beneath!