Santa Clara vs Boise State Odds, Lines, and Spread (Dec. 14)

Odds as of December 13th, 2021.

Herb Sendek’s Santa Clara squad is is led by junior guard Jalen Williams, who is averaging 19.5 points per game this season. Williams has scored in double figures in all 11 Bronco outings this season, breaking the 20-point barrier five times, with a season-high 30 points coming in a Nov. 30 win against Hawaii.

Meantime, Leon Rice’s Boise State group set a season-high for points and field goal percentage (53.8%) in that 37-point victory over the Panthers. Senior forward Abu Kigab had a monster game, finishing with 32 points and 10 rebounds.

Broncos Busted

After taking down their first five opponents and scoring an average of 88 points per game, the Santa Clara Broncos have fallen back to earth. In the last six games, Sendek’s squad has only averaged 68.2 points per game. That includes a 60-point effort against the Golden Bears Saturday that saw SCU shoot just 28.6% (6-of-21) from distance and grab only one offensive rebound.

Dominating the boards 💪 

+18 on the glass in last night’s dub.#InvestAndAttack pic.twitter.com/4bsAHiAVCl

— Cal Basketball (@CalMBBall) December 13, 2021

The frustrating three-week stretch for the Broncos also includes narrow home losses to UC Irvine (69-64) and Louisiana Tech (78-75).

In addition to Williams, another standout on Sendek’s roster is Keshawn Justice. The senior forward from Madison is averaging 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Despite their recent rough patch, the Broncos are near-elite on the offensive side in several categories. Santa Clara ranks in the top-45 in offensive effective field goal percentage (20th), offensive turnover percentage (41st), offensive 3-point field goal percentage (45th), offensive 2-point field goal percentage (26th) and offensive free throw percentage (35th).

The highlight we've been waiting for@JdubPSCEO with the steal and slam 💥💥💥#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/YrWypSEBoJ

— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) December 12, 2021

This team is capable of scoring point led by a pair of special offensive talents in Williams and Justice. But can Santa Clara shake off its recent offensive doldrums?

Cooking with Rice

The Boise State Broncos were picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West preseason poll — and that’s exactly where KenPom has BSU rated after its first ten games. Kigab’s big night — and whether or not he can momentum from that performance into Tuesday’s tilt — is the obvious headliner.

#BoiseState senior F Abu Kigab had 32 PTS on just 12 FG attempts on Friday.

It’s T-3rd fewest attempts by an NCAA DI player with 30+ PTS in a game this season.

It’s tied for the fewest by a Bronco during the Leon Rice Era (Derrick Alston: 31 PTS on 12 FGA, Dec. ‘19).#TuSTATS pic.twitter.com/fdmln9Q0kO

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) December 12, 2021

Kigab shot 10-of-12 from the field and added three blocks. It’s unlikely he approaches that type of performance against Santa Clara. He’s averaging 14.7 point per contest, and outside of a 27-point night against St. Louis, Kigab’s high-point night was a 17-point effort against Tulsa.  The bigger question is: can an a pair of seniors (Marcus Shaver and Emmanuel Akot) step up?

Shaver goes for 12.2 a night and Akot averages 11.4. Rice’s senior-dominated roster has been through many battles together — and if Tuesday is a close one, the home team will be prepared.

The Pick

Whereas Santa Clara is statistically solid on the offensive end, Boise State matches up well with the Bay Area Broncos on the defensive end. Rice’s charges are in the top-40 in five defensive categories, per KenPom. The biggest advantage comes in defensive adjusted efficiency — where BSU is the 35th-rated squad in the country.

None of Boise State’s losses have been by more than eight points — and all but one of their six victories have been by at least 10. This one has the feel of another home victory for the Mountain West club.

Pick: Boise State -6.5 (-110)