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The South Dakota State Jackrabbits take on the Boise State Broncos. Check out our college basketball odds series for our South Dakota State Boise State prediction and pick.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are a consistently strong mid-major program. They regularly produce high-quality seasons with lots of wins and plenty of high-octane offense. The Jackrabbits like to jack up 3-pointers and run the floor, playing at a relatively fast pace. The formula works, and there's no reason to have to switch the larger modus operandi. South Dakota State won 30 games last season, finishing 30-4. The Jackrabbits and North Dakota State were the two best teams in the Summit League last season. The two teams played three times — twice in the regular season and then in the Summit League Tournament championship game — and all three games were close. South Dakota State managed to win each time, showing how tough and battle-tested it was. South Dakota State won the first two meetings, but if it hadn't won the third game in the tournament final, it would not have made the 2022 NCAA Tournament. That was a supremely impressive display of poise under pressure. Even though South Dakota State lost to Providence in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the season was a resounding success. Now the Jackrabbits will try to do it all over again this season. They lost a heartbreaker in their season opener to Akron on Monday, falling 81-80 to the Zips in overtime. South Dakota State shot just 27 percent from 3-point range. Merely hitting 30 percent of threes would have been good enough.
The Boise State Broncos had gone several years without an NCAA Tournament appearance heading into last season. Something needed to change for head coach Leon Rice to feel he was making the grade in Boise, where football is king but basketball is taken seriously. The fan base was restless, given the flameouts late in previous seasons, but in 2022, Rice found a winning formula. His teams played great late-game defense. Boise State found ways to get lots of defensive stops in the final 10 minutes of games. Sometimes, that defense was extended to 40 full minutes, as shown in wins over San Diego State, but the Broncos had a knack for cranking up the defensive effort and execution in the final 10 minutes of games. They persevered in tight scoreboard situations and won a lot of close games. That's how they managed to get back to the NCAA Tournament. They lost to Memphis in the first round, but they took a huge forward step as a program. Now we get to see if they can retain their winning identity from the 2022 season.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the South Dakota State-Boise State College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: South Dakota State-Boise State Odds
South Dakota State Jackrabbits: +6.5 (-118)
Boise State Broncos: -6.5 (-104)
Over: 144.5 (-115)
Under: 144.5 (-105)
Why South Dakota State Could Cover the Spread
The Jackrabbits played a very tough and competitive game against Akron, while Boise State hasn't played a game yet. One should think that South Dakota State will be sharper and more fluid. Playing an overtime game at the very start of the season should not create worries about how fresh the Jackrabbits' legs will be.
Why Boise State Could Cover the Spread
The Broncos know how to play defense, and they know that South Dakota State can shoot the rock from long range. The Broncos were very prepared last season at the defensive end of the floor. They can bring that same preparation to this season opener.
Final South Dakota State-Boise State Prediction & Pick
The fact that South Dakota State has played one game — and not against a cupcake opponent — gives the Jackrabbits a natural advantage. They can at least keep this close, and they might win outright.
Final South Dakota State-Boise State Prediction & Pick: South Dakota State +6.5
