The Fresno State Bulldogs look to have another good season after a successful 2022 campaign. We are here to share our college football odds series, making a Fresno State over-under win total prediction and pick.

Fresno State went 10-4, including 7-1 in the Mountain West Conference last year. Now, they look to replicate last year's success while overcoming the loss of many players to the NFL.

The Bulldogs started their season with a 35-7 thrashing of Cal Poly. However, they suffered a 35-32 defeat at the hands of Oregon State. Fresno State then fell 45-17 on the road to the USC Trojans. Next, they lost 19-14 on the road against UConn. The misery continued with a 40-20 loss on the road against Boise State. However, things soon turned on a dime.

Fresno State started the roll with a 17-10 victory over San Jose State. Then, they demolished New Mexico 41-9 on the road. The Bulldogs followed this with a 32-28 victory over San Diego State. Next, they destroyed Hawaii 55-13. The good times continued with a 37-30 road victory against UNLV. Furthermore, they routed Nevada 41-14 on the road. The Bulldogs shut out Wyoming 30-0 at home before concluding the regular season with a 28-16 victory over Boise State on the road. Finally, they defeated Washington State 29-6 in the LA Bowl at Sofi Stadium.

Fresno State lost multiple players to the NFL. First, the New Orleans Saints took quarterback Jake Haener with the 127th pick in the fourth round. Haener went 21-8 in 32 career games for the Bulldogs. Additionally, he passed for 2,896 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions in 2022 with a 72 percent completion percentage. It followed a season where he tossed for 4,096 yards, 33 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Fresno State also lost leading rusher Joshua Mims, who rushed 261 times for 1,370 yards and 18 touchdowns. Additionally, wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper is now with the Dallas Cowboys after catching 84 passes for 1,093 yards for Fresno State last season. The Bulldogs also lost Nikko Remigio and Zane Pope. Significantly, Remigio had 74 receptions for 852 yards and six scores, while Pope caught 50 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns.

Here are the College Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds

Over 8.5 wins: +110

Under 8.5 wins: -134

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Why Fresno State Can Win 8.5 Games 

The 2023 team will look very different from the 2022 squad that busted out nine straight victories to end the season. However, there are still some parts that can help the Bulldogs thrive.

Running back Malik Sherrod is back and rushed 80 times for 428 yards and two touchdowns with a 5.3 yards-per-carry rate. Now, he looks to take over the leading role in the backfield and show that he is ready for the spotlight.

Losing Haener will hurt. Regardless, the Bulldogs must move on. There will be a quarterback competition. First, let's talk about Jack Jacobs, the new man in town. He is 6-foot-6 and was an Angelus League MVP in his final season of high school after throwing for 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Additionally, he rushed 120 times for 297 yards and four scores. Jacobs will compete with Joshua Wood and Logan Fife, with added pressure to whoever secures the job.

Fresno State will win nine games because Sherrod will take the next step. Furthermore, Jacobs will emerge and replace Haener while creating a significant impact.

Why Fresno State Can Not Win 8.5 Games

Fresno State has plenty of question marks. First, is Sherrod really ready to replace Mims? It is not easy to replace a guy that crossed the goal line 18 times. Therefore, the added pressure might affect his play. But that is not the worst thing that might hurt Sherrod. Moreover, the Bulldogs lost three receivers. Will defenses crowd the box now to force the Bulldogs to test the secondary? The offense must figure out who will pass the ball and then who will catch it.

But the defense also suffered a hit as they lost their top pass rusher. Significantly, they lost David Perales to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Perales had 11.5 sacks and 31 solo tackles in 2022. Who will replace that production?

Fresno State will not win nine games because there are too many holes on the roster. Thus, they might have trouble adjusting to the new players, and it might force them to take a step back.

Final Fresno State Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick

This team still has good coaching that can make this team competitive. However, even good coaching cannot cover this many holes. Fresno State will take a slight step back in 2023, probably winning six games instead of nine.

Final Fresno State Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Under 8.5 wins: -134