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The No. 7 Northwestern Wildcats (21-11) and the No. 10 Boise State Broncos (24-9) square off on Thursday to fight for a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The first round matchup starts at 7:35 PM.
Thursday’s matchup between the Wildcats and the Broncos features a close line of Northwestern -1.5. A 128-point total has been set for the game.
Northwestern vs. Boise State Odds
Point Spread for Northwestern vs. Boise State
The spread for this matchup is set at 1.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Northwestern as the favorite.
Northwestern vs. Boise State Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Northwestern has -126 odds to pick up the win, while Boise State is listed at +106 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 128 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Thursday, March 16, 2023
- Game Time: 7:35 PM ET
- TV Channel: truTV
- Location: Sacramento, California
- Arena: Golden 1 Center
Northwestern vs. Boise State Betting Trends
Northwestern has played 32 games, with 19 wins against the spread. The Wildcats have been victorious in 12, or 75%, of the 16 contests they have been chosen as favorites in this season. Northwestern has hit the over in 37.5% of its opportunities this year (12 times over 32 games with a set point total).
Against the spread, Boise State is 17-14-1 this season. The Broncos have won 54.5% of the games this season they were the underdog on the moneyline (6-5). Boise State’s games this season have eclipsed the over/under 16 times in 32 opportunities (50%).
Northwestern vs. Boise State Key Players to Watch
Northwestern
Chase Audige posts 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest, shooting 36.7% from the floor and 32.6% from beyond the arc with 1.9 made 3-pointers per game. Ty Berry averages 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. Defensively, he averages 1.4 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Matthew Nicholson paces his team in rebounds per game (5.5), and also posts 6 points and 1.3 assists. Defensively, he averages 0.6 steals and 1.2 blocked shots.
Boise State
Tyson Degenhart tops the Broncos in scoring (14.3 points per game) and assists (1.8), and posts 5.4 rebounds. He also averages 0.5 steals and 0.4 blocked shots. Marcus Shaver Jr. leads the Broncos in rebounding (6.1 per game) and assists (3.8), and puts up 13.5 points. He also delivers 1.6 steals and 0.3 blocked shots. Max Rice is averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, making 44% of his shots from the floor and 41.5% from 3-point range, with 2.2 triples per game. The Broncos receive 10.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game from Naje Smith.
What you need to know about the Northwestern Wildcats
The Wildcats are scoring 67.7 points per game this year (281st-ranked in college basketball), but they’ve really provided a lift on defense, giving up just 62.5 points per contest (18th-best). With 32.1 boards per game, Northwestern is 157th in the country. It cedes 31.8 rebounds per contest, which ranks 225th in college basketball.
Northwestern is sinking 7.7 three-pointers per game (139th-ranked in college basketball). It has a 32.1% shooting percentage (292nd-ranked) from three-point land. The Wildcats are ceding 7.6 three-pointers per game (229th-ranked in college basketball). They are allowing opponents to shoot 33.9% (190th-ranked) from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats are 7-3 against the spread and 6-4 overall in their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Northwestern has gone over the total twice. On the offensive side of the ball, Northwestern has had a tough time putting the ball in the basket over its last 10 games, scoring 64.7 points per contest over that span as opposed to the 67.7 it has racked up over the course of this season. Northwestern has been a little improved on the defensive end of the floor of late, allowing 62.4 points per game over its last 10 contests compared to the 62.5 it has surrendered per game this year.
What you need to know about the Boise State Broncos
In 2022-23, the Broncos are 166th in the nation offensively (72.2 points scored per game) and 34th on defense (64.3 points conceded). In 2022-23, Boise State is 90th in the nation in rebounds (33.2 per game) and 78th in rebounds conceded (29.4).
Boise State is 126th in the nation in 3-pointers made (7.8 per game) and 58th in 3-point percentage (36.5%). The Broncos are 81st in college basketball in 3-pointers allowed (6.5 per game) and 35th in 3-point percentage defensively (30.9%).
The Broncos have covered the spread twice, and are 6-4 overall, over their last 10 games. Six of Boise State’s last 10 games have gone over the total. While Boise State is scoring 72.2 points per game in 2022-23, it has fallen short of that over its last 10 games, tallying 71.8 points per contest. Over their previous 10 games, the Broncos are giving up 72.7 points per contest, 8.4 more points than their season average (64.3).
Northwestern vs. Boise State Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this game is Boise State, and we predict that Boise State will cover the spread (Northwestern -1.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 128 points.
How to bet Northwestern vs. Boise State
You can bet on Northwestern vs. Boise State at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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