Boise State men’s basketball vs. Saint Louis: How to watch, prediction and odds
The Boise State men’s basketball team has already played some difficult contests at neutral sites outside ExtraMile Arena this season.
But the Broncos are about to play their first true road game of the year, and it’s a tall task, Boise State coach Leon Rice said.
The Broncos (7-2) face Saint Louis (7-3) at 6 p.m. Mountain time Saturday at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
“They’re going to come breathing fire,” Rice said. “We’re going to have to play our best game of the year because with all things considered — with what they have, the road environment, all those things — this will be our toughest test for sure.”
The Billikens boast one of the best distributing guards in the country.
Junior Yuri Collins is averaging a nation-leading 11.1 assists per game this season. He is the only player in the country to average double-digit assists, and he owns a nation-best total of 111 so far this season.
Collins dished out a season-high 20 assists in the Billikens’ 80-63 win over Tennessee State on Nov. 30 and has had double-digit assists totals in five of Saint Louis’ 10 games.
“He just has a terrific feel for the game, and they have a great plan for him,” Rice said. “He’s been in their system for a long time. … He knows what their strengths are, and he gets them the ball where they need the ball.”
Slowing Collins will be a key factor to the Broncos’ success.
In the Billikens’ three losses to Maryland, Auburn and Iona, Collins was limited to single-digit assists. However, Collins had just one assist when Saint Louis came to Boise last season and escaped with an 86-82 overtime victory.
“I feel like they’re better than they were last year,” Rice said. “Those guys didn’t just get a year older, they got better.”
While the Billikens are collectively among the best in the country at assisting, the Broncos rank near the bottom. It’s a facet of the game Rice has been emphasizing recently, and the results are tangible.
Since Rice challenged the Broncos to look for their teammates, Boise State has totaled a season-high 19 assists against Texas A&M and 18 assists against Eastern Oregon.
“Credit to our guys, we really got after them this week. We haven’t been making each other better on offense. We were just missing a little bit offensively,” Rice said after the Broncos defeated Texas A&M. “We had a big emphasis on assists and making each other better.”
BOISE STATE AT SAINT LOUIS
When: 6 p.m. Mountain time Saturday
Where: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis
TV: ESPN+ (Scott Warmann and Scott Highmark)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM (Bob Behler, Abe Jackson)
Records: Boise State 7-2, Saint Louis 7-3
Series: Saint Louis won the only meeting between the two teams 86-82 in overtime last season in Boise.
Vegas line: Saint Louis by 5.5
KenPom rating: Boise State 59, Saint Louis 54
KenPom & ESPN predictions
Ken Pomeroy, who created the popular college basketball statistical website KenPom.com, ranks every Division I team using an adjusted efficiency margin, which Pomeroy defines as the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive efficiency.
According to Pomeroy’s detailed statistical analysis, Boise State has a 37% chance of beating Saint Louis. His score prediction is a 74-70 Saint Louis victory.
ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index: Saint Louis has a 70.7% chance of winning with a predicted point differential of 5.7.
This story was originally published December 9, 2022 at 1:42 PM.
