The Boise State Broncos take on the Northwestern Wildcats. Check out our March Madness odds series for our Boise State Northwestern prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Boise State Northwestern.
This game occurs at a point in time when Mountain West basketball fans have to be wondering if their conference can finally deliver the goods in March. We just saw Nevada get demolished by Arizona State in the First Four in Dayton on Wednesday night. It is yet another humiliation for a conference which did not win a single game in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Mountain West and its teams know all about this story. Every Mountain West roster and coaching staff knows about the pressure of needing to come through in the clutch and get a win in March Madness. That weighs on teams, and it's real. It seemed to affect all four Mountain West teams when they crashed out of the NCAA Tournament one year ago. With Nevada losing, what will the effect on Boise State be?
One has to add that in addition to the Mountain West angle, Boise State is facing a unique and potent form of pressure: The Broncos have never won a game in the NCAA Tournament. The Broncos have been to the Big Dance several teams, but each time they have not been able to grab a victory. This team wants to snap that streak so badly, but wanting to win doesn't guarantee actual victory. BSU has to put in the work and produce. Interestingly, the Broncos will go up against a Northwestern team which is making only its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and has only one NCAA Tournament victory. These are two of the least successful schools in the 84-year history of the NCAA Tournament, so the game means a ton on both sides of the divide.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Boise State-Northwestern March Madness odds:
March Madness Odds: Boise State-Northwestern Odds
Boise State Broncos: +1.5 (-105)
Northwestern Wildcats: -1.5 (-115)
Over: 127.5 (-106)
Under: 127.5 (-114)
How To Watch Boise State vs. Northwestern
TV: TruTV
Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, fuboTV
Time: 7:35 p.m. ET, 4:35 p.m. PT
*Watch Boise State-Northwestern LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Boise State Could Cover the Spread
This Boise State team has labored under the burden of never having won an NCAA Tournament game. This team's hunger to finally win an NCAA Tournament game will be so great that the Broncos will finally cross the finish line.
Northwestern has had a good year, but the Wildcats have not played well in recent weeks, losing twice to Penn State and basically allowing opponents to hang around instead of delivering a knockout punch. Northwestern has looked mentally fatigued after doing a lot of hard work through the middle of February.
Why Northwestern Could Cover the Spread
The Wildcats play great defense. The hiring of assistant coach Chris Lowery by head coach Chris Collins was one of the most important assistant-coach hires of the past offseason. Lowery has made Northwestern a better, more cohesive team at both ends of the floor. The Wildcats get tested every night in the Big Ten. Against a Mountain West opponent which is similarly talented, Northwestern should welcome the chance to step outside of its conference and play with a little more freedom at both ends of the court. That should enable the Wildcats to get another NCAA Tournament win.
Final Boise State-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
The desire to win for Boise State doesn't mean the Broncos will win, but it does mean they will play hard, and it does mean that if things go poorly for them in the first few minutes of the game, they will fight back. Northwestern is a good team, but the Wildcats have looked far less imposing over the past two weeks compared to how they played in early February. Take Boise State.
Final Boise State-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Boise State +1.5
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