Fresno State vs. Wyoming
Free Pick: Wyoming +11
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University Stadium will be the sight of the New Mexico Bowl where The Fresno State Bulldogs (8-4, 7-4 ATS) will look to take care of some unfinished business when they clash with the Wyoming Cowboys (6-6, 8-3 ATS) in this college football betting battle. Last year, the Bulldogs were dropped 40-35 in this game against Colorado State, and they’ll be hoping for better in 2009′s installment.

It took until the dying moments of the season, but Wyoming became bowl eligible with a 17-16 victory over Colorado State in its final game to reach this point. It was the fifth time in its L/6 games that the Cowboys were held to 17 points or less. They were shut out more times this season (3) than any other bowl team in the country, and they didn’t defeat a single team that is bowling this year. Offensively, the Cowboys are an absolute mess. They rank 112th in the land in total offense at 298.7 yards per game, and they are only averaging 16.9 points per game (111th in the country). Wyoming only scored 21 offensive touchdowns all season, an average which absolutely will not cut it if it is to spring the upset in the New Mexico Bowl come Saturday.

Fresno State has the ability to score points in bunches, especially if RB Ryan Mathews is healthy. The junior had a fantastic regular season finale against Illinois, running for 173 yards and three TDs, which raised his already gaudy numbers on the season. Mathews rushed for 1,664 yards and had another 122 through the air to record a total of 17 touchdowns overall. This team isn’t inept in the passing department either. The Bulldogs may only rank 79th in the land in passing yardage (204.3 yards per game), but QB Ryan Colburn completed 60.2% of his passes for 2,333 yards and 18 TDs overall. If Fresno has an Achilles heel, it’s that it has a hard time stopping the run. HC Pat Hill’s bunch allowed an average of 212.4 yards per game this year on the ground; the 111th best mark in the nation. The team has given up at least 21 points in five straight games, and against FBS foes this year, allowed 30.4 points per game. Much like their counterparts in this game, the Bulldogs haven’t had much luck against bowl eligible teams, as they are only 1-4 SU and 3-2 ATS in their five tries on the year.

This game could be a lot closer than the experts think. Wyoming may not have the offensive firepower to stick around with the Bulldogs if they really start rolling, but as poor as Fresno’s defense is, sticking in front of a double-digit spread doesn’t seem much to ask. Look for the Cowboys to do just that and play within the number.

Play On: Wyoming Cowboys

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3. New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Colorado State Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions
4. Colorado vs. Wyoming Betting Odds, Pick & Point Spread: September 19th 2009
5. Fresno State vs. New Mexico State Picks & Odds: November 30th, 2007