Boise State vs UCF Odds, Spread and Picks – Sept. 2nd

• UCF hosts Boise State in Week 1 on Thursday, September 2nd
• Gus Malzahn will make his head coaching debut with the Knights, while Andy Avalos returns to Boise State for his first game as the head coach
• Read below for the odds, spread, game preview and betting pick

The Gus Malzahn era in Central Florida is set to get underway in Week 1 against Boise State. The Knights are being listed as 5.5-point favorites over the Broncos at the Bounce House on Thursday, September 2nd. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM EST on ESPN.

UCF went 6-4 in the AAC under Josh Heupel in 2020, while Boise State went 5-2 in the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos are also beginning a new era under head coach Andy Avalos.

Will Malzahn make a good first impression with UCF, or should you back the Broncos as underdogs?

Boise State vs UCF Odds

Odds as of August 31st

Gus Bus Ready for Takeoff

Gus Malzahn will coach his first game with UCF against Boise State in Week 1. The long time Auburn head coach was fired this offseason after eight seasons with the Tigers, including a 6-4 campaign in 2020. Despite Malzahn failing to live up to Auburn’s expectations, he was fairly consistent and never had a losing season.

#UCF coach Gus Malzahn addresses the media Monday.

“We have a lot of respect for this program.” Malzahn said of Boise State. pic.twitter.com/o4aJPygK5L

— osknights (@osknights) August 30, 2021

Malzahn inherits a dynamic UCF offense that averaged 568.1 yards per game in 2020 – second-best in the country. The Knights are led under center by QB Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 3,570 yards and 32 TDs with only four interceptions last year. UCF returns its entire offensive line as well as one of Gabriel’s top receiver targets in Jason Robertson.

Malzahn ran a fairly balanced offense at Auburn, so it’ll be interesting to see how he utilizes a dynamic deep ball threat like Gabriel. UCF has a plethora of talent at running back, including Auburn transfer Mark Antony-Richards and Northwestern transfer Isaiah Bowser. UCF’s offense has the chance to dominate in 2021 if Malzahn can find the right balance.

Avalos Returns to Boise State

The Andy Avalos era in Boise State is set to begin with a tough road matchup at UCF. The Broncos new head coach is familiar with the program after playing linebacker at Boise State from 2001-2004 and spending time as an assistant coach between 2012-2018. Avalos is joined by new offensive coordinator Tim Plough, who will look to implement a high-octane passing attack.

That game week feeling 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qsHv8xH7Wf

— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) August 29, 2021

Much like the Knights, the Broncos are experienced at the quarterback position with Hank Bachmeier. The junior pivot is 11-2 as a starter over the past two years, but has never played a full season due to injuries and COVID-19 concerns. He’ll have the chance to start strong in 2021 as Boise State has a terrific receiving corpse led by senior Khalil Shakir.

A concern for Boise State is the offensive line, as the team finished dead-last in the conference in rushing (107.1 YPG) last year. On defense, the Broncos return nine starters from a mediocre unit that allowed 30-plus points on four different occasions in 2020 . If they can’t get big stops in the secondary, the dynamic UCF passing offense could takeover.

What’s the Best Bet? 

This is a difficult road matchup for the Broncos in Week 1. The Bounce House is going to be rocking as Malzahn aims to make a good first impression. The Knights were able to play in front of fans last season, but this will be the first time since 2019 that Boise State is playing in a full stadium. The Broncos played most of their games last season with zero attendance due to COVID-19.

Here’s the last time UCF opened at the Bounce House on a Thursday night:

If this doesn’t make you want to run through a wall, I don’t know what will. pic.twitter.com/QUOa55DjYb

— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) August 30, 2021

UCF is better prepared for this primetime slot and can takeover with their dynamic offense. Boise State also has weapons on offense, but there are some concerns at QB. The last time Bachmeier took the field was in the Mountain West Championship game where he only completed 48.8% of his passes vs San Jose State.

Expect plenty of points in this game, but Gabriel should be the difference. Expect the experienced pivot to carve up a weak Broncos secondary, while the feisty UCF defense comes up with a few big stops in their home barn.

• Pick: UCF -4.5 (-115)