Wednesday College Basketball Betting Picks: BYU-Boise State, SDSU-San Diego

Wednesday College Basketball Betting Picks: BYU-Boise State, SDSU-San Diego article feature image
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Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports. Pictured: Nathan Mensah

Wednesday night brings us two fascinating battles — an interstate clash between BYU and Boise State and a big intrastate matchup between San Diego State and San Diego.

BYU looks to build off its last-second win at Houston, while San Diego State wants to keep its undefeated streak going in a tough road environment.

Let's take a look at who has the betting edge in these tight West Coast battles.

Wednesday College Basketball Betting


Odds as of Wednesday morning and via PointsBet, where Action Network users can access an exclusive promotion to get a 200% deposit match (deposit $50, bet with $150).No strings attached. No rollover required.


BYU at Boise State 

  • Spread: Boise State PK
  • Over/Under: 147.5
  • Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
  • TV: CBSSN

BYU has already secured two impressive wins despite playing without senior forward Yoeli Childs (21.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg) for the first nine games due to a suspension.

BYU defeated a stubborn Southern Utah team 68-63 at home, followed by a huge 72-71 road win at Houston. Senior TJ Haws' shot at the buzzer gave the Cougars a defining road win.

New head coach Mark Pope already has BYU playing at an efficient level offensively, ranking 46th overall in adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom. The Cougars are also shooting a strong 38% from 3P, ranking 61st in the country. 

While Boise State is never an easy place to play, its poor defensive metrics spell trouble against BYU's offense. The Broncos have been a sieve on defense, ranking 353rd in effective field goal percentage defense and have allowed opponents to shoot a mindblowing 50% from 3P.

The Broncos have not been much better on offense, ranking 312th in effective field goal percentage and 331st in 3P%.

BYU's three-guard alignment will be a difficult match for the Broncos with seniors Jake Toolson (15.3 ppg, 45% 3P) and Haws (12.5 ppg, 3.8 apg) joined by sophomore Alex Barcello (13.1 ppg, 60%) for a balanced scoring attack.

Boise State's length and athleticism have yet to translate to either side of the ball. They do have a size advantage inside, especially with BYU playing without Childs, but the Cougars' guard play will likely offset that.

The Cougars win at Houston was very impressive, and it's hard to envision the Broncos securing a win at home when their metrics are so poor this season.

The Pick: BYU pick'em [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]

San Diego State at San Diego

  • Spread: San Diego State -5.5
  • Over/Under: 129.5
  • Time: 11 p.m. ET

SDSU has been "taking care of business" early in the season, winning their first three games by an average of 21.7 points per game.

As usual, San Diego State has excelled on the defensive end, holding opponents to the 12th best effective field goal percentage in the nation. The Aztecs are also fantastic against the 3P, limiting the opposition to just 26.2% from beyond the arc.

The real difference for the Aztecs has been on the offensive end, where they are seeing surprisingly high efficiency. They are 12th-best in 3P%, shooting an incredible 43.7% from deep as a team.

As always, San Diego State is relentless on the offensive boards, ranking seventh in offensive rebounding percentage. 

San Diego lost four starters from last year's 21-15 team and is relying on youth with limited depth in the frontcourt. Sophomore guard Joey Calcaterra (16.8 ppg) leads the Toreros, who will also be without 6-foot-10 forward Yauhen Massalski (foot).

This game represents the 22nd consecutive season these two crosstown schools have met. With the five-year contract ending, there is talk it will not continue after this game. USD's Jenny Craig Pavillion is rarely filled, except when the Aztecs and Gonzaga come to town.

It's always tough playing a rival team on the road, but San Diego State is on a mission to get back to the NCAA Tournament, something it has failed to do in 14 of the 16 years when it has lost to San Diego.

The stakes are too high for the Aztecs to get tripped up at San Diego. Their solid defense and 3P shooting acumen should earn them this tough road win.

The Pick: San Diego St. -5.5 [In New Jersey? Bet now at PointsBet]

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