Mountain West Week 13 Preview
For most teams in the Mountain West Conference, and for that matter for most teams in every NCAA Division I conference, week 13 marks the end of the regular season and in the Mountain West, there’s still plenty to play for. Three teams enter week 13 tied atop the conference standings and with two of them in action today, we could see one of them take control as they vie for the title. Boise State will get the week off, giving the Broncos extra time to prepare for their finale against Nevada, but in the meantime, here is a look at each of those two other match-ups and the winning point spread picks.
Air Force Falcons 6-5 (5-2) at Fresno State Bulldogs 8-3 (6-1)
Fresno's slew of offensive weapons will be too much for the Falcons to handle
The Bulldogs’ only loss all season came against the Broncos, so they’ll need some help from Nevada next week, but before they worry about that, they need to take care of business this week against a tough Air Force team. The Falcons are already bowl eligible, but could help their cause in getting a bid even more by beating the Bulldogs today.
Fresno brings one of the most balanced all-around attacks in the country to this match-up, while the Falcons bring a run-heavy approach and a solid defense. The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 50 in the country in rush offense, pass offense, points scored and points allowed. They should be able to limit the Falcons 2nd ranked rush offense enough to force them into throwing the ball, which is their major weakness. However, Air Force’s offense should also limit Fresno enough to keep the game close. I like the Bulldogs in a narrow margin of victory this week, so take the Falcons to cover +17 points on the road.
San Diego State Aztecs 8-3 (6-1) at Wyoming Cowboys 4-7 (3-4)
San Diego State should be able to run all over the Wyoming defense
The Aztecs are also very much in this three-way race and should be able to take down the Cowboys to improve to 7-1 in the conference, but will they be able to cover the 7.5 point spread?
Wyoming doesn’t have much in the way of a running game or a defense, as it gives up more than 30 points per game, so it will likely have a hard time a San Diego State team that scores 34.5 per game, good for 34th best in the nation. The Aztecs will look to keep the game on the ground, whereas the Cowboys will want to air it out, but if they can’t put a stop to San Diego State’s running game, they simply won’t have enough opportunities to score. Look for the Aztecs to control the clock, the ball and the game and cover -7.5 in a win today.
