Santa Clara Broncos vs Utah State Aggies Point Spread Picks

Santa Clara is 7-3 after winning its first five games before losing three of four, but the Broncos are a slight underdog although they are 5-0 at home this season. The Broncos have gone OVER three of their past four lined games and they average 78.9 points while shooting 47.2 percent overall and 36.2 percent from 3-point distance. Santa Clara is 7-1 ATS its past eight games as an underdog of 0.5-6.5 points and 11-2 ATS as a home dog in that range. Last year's meeting soared OVER by 23 points. Danny Sprinkle is off to a good start in his first year as coach of Utah State and the Aggies have won eight in a row. However, this will be only the third true road game for the Aggies and they split the first two. Santa Clara is led by double-figure scorers Adama Bal (14.6 ppg) and Carlos Marshall Jr. (13.9). Take Santa Clara and the OVER.

The Utah State Aggies are off a pair of nice wins to start the season, and will host Santa Clara who is also off a pair of wins to start the season. Santa Clara is, however, projected in the bottom half of the West Coast Conference as this is a team that has not been to the Big Dance since 1996, and prospects are slim to get there this season. The Broncos will live and die by their guards where almost all the scoring will have to come from as they are very weak in the paint and on the wings. Stew Morrill has been at Utah State since 1989, and has never won fewer than 18 games. He has 11 newcomers on the roster, but somehow seems to get the most out of what he has. He has already found three scorers to fill the void, two of which are first year players. While most expect the Aggies to finish at or near the bottom of the West Coast Conference, chances are they will not. The Aggies seldom lose at home with an altitude advantage and a coach that seems to win no matter what. Utah State owns a 137-19 straight-up record at home in their last 156 here, and just 14 of those came as a favorite. Take the Aggies on the moneyline.

The Utah State Aggies have been a top program over the years, but they have slipped a bit. While they regroup, the focus has to be on the pace of the game and on the defensive end. The commitment on the defensive end has been a staple of the program, and it has them out of the gate allowing less than 60 points per contest. They have been rewarded with a 3-1 start. The Broncos are a perfect 5-0 and have had their way on the offensive end thus far, but for the most part vs. far inferior competition. They will get a look tonight at a competent team that is going to take them out of their comfort zone and shorten the game. The Aggies have been the masters of this strategy, in particular on the road where they are 8-0 to the UNDER in their last eight. Back the UNDER in this one.