The NCAAF season continues with Bowl games on Saturday, December 17, and this duel in Frisco, TX is one of them, so make sure you get the best Mean Green vs. Broncos betting pick and odds.

North Texas and Boise State will fight for the Frisco Bowl and $650,000 of prize money when they face at Toyota Stadium. The Broncos are -10.5 favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, while the total is set at 59 points. These non-conference rivals have never met before.

Mean Green fired their head coach after losing the C-USA championship game

The North Texas Mean Green (7-6-0, 7-6-0 ATS) won five of the final seven regular season games to finish 2nd in the Conference USA and fight for the title against the UTSA Roadrunners. However, the Roadrunners proved to be too strong and secured a comfortable 48-27 victory. UTSA was better in total yards (571-366), first downs (32-19), and possession (37:43-22:17), while the Mean Green committed a couple of turnovers and failed to force a single one on the other end. After this loss, North Texas decided to fire head coach Seth Littrell, who spent seven seasons at the helm.

Austin Aune completed 14 of 29 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Jyaire Shorter was on the receiving end of that lone TD pass, while Kaylon Horton led the team with 58 yards on three catches. Ikaika Ragsdale was excellent on the ground as he posted a team-high 108 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Defensively, KD Davis was the best individual in the game with 14 tackles.

RB Oscar Adaway has an undefined issue, and it is unknown if he will be available for the Frisco Bowl against Boise State.

Broncos lost the MW title game against Fresno State

The Boise State Broncos (9-4-0, 6-6-1 ATS) finished the regular season with the best record and without a loss in conference play in the Mountain West Conference. Still, they couldn’t win the conference title as they suffered a 28-16 home loss to the Fresno State Bulldogs, who continued with excellent performances. Boise State was slightly better on offense, but the hosts did commit a pair of turnovers, while the Bulldogs were extremely cautious with the ball in possession on the other end.

Taylen Green completed 17 of 38 passes for 175 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Davis Koetter led all the receivers with 93 yards and a score on five receptions, while George Holani led the team in rushing yards with 74 yards on 13 carries. On defense, Rodney Robinson had a game-high seven tackles.

WR Stefan Cobbs has an unknown ailment, and it is unclear if he will be available versus North Texas in the Frisco Bowl.

Trends:

North Texas:

  • 6-21 ATS in the last 27 games following an ATS loss
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five non-conference games
  • 0-4 ATS in the last four Bowl games

Boise State:

  • 20-8-2 ATS in the last 30 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game
  • 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine games following an ATS loss

North Texas Mean Green vs. Boise State Broncos Pick

Boise State will be looking to bounce back after that MW championship loss to Fresno State with a win on Saturday, and it seems the Broncos are in a better position to get the Frisco Bowl. Despite the fact that the Mean Green will practically play at home, they just fired their head coach, and I am not sure what defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, who will serve as interim coach, can do against the Broncos. North Texas does have a top 30 offense that averages 33.9 points per game, but after allowing 28 in their loss to Fresno State, I believe the Broncos will respond here. After all, Boise State has one of the best defenses in the country that surrenders 18.5 ppg.

Pick: Take the Broncos at -8.5 (-125)

The Total

I mentioned North Texas’ high-octane offense, but I also must say that the Mean Green have a weak defense that allows 31.5 points per game. Their lenient secondary is surrendering even 271.7 yards per game to the opposing receivers, but luckily for the Mean Green, the Broncos are not very good at passing. This, in combination with excellent Boise State’s defense, is enough for me to expect a low-scoring affair. Under is 14-6 in the Broncos’ last 20 games overall, while Under is 5-1 in Boise State’s previous six non-conference games.

Pick: Go Under 61.5 points (-130)