While you degenerate gamblers are sitting on the couch today waiting for kickoff, the pros at FivStarPick.com are crunching stats, trends, key matchups and injury reports to give our members another winner tonight.  The Virginia Tech Hokies are favored by 1.5 points over the Boise State Broncos at a nuetral field and we think this line is DEAD WRONG!

The 3rd ranked Broncos (highest ever ranking) might give them an easy path to the BCS Championship Game, but the hype surrounding this game really started at the beginning of August.  Boise State was initially posted as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 51.  However, VATech has been getting pounded by the betting public moving the line to favor the Hokies by 1.5. 

Boise State has returned 21 of 22 starters from a year ago.  Last season the Broncos posted 14-0 mark with a team that had an offense ranked 10th in the nation in total offense (450.2 YPG) and the best scoring attack in the land (42.2 PPG) in 2009.  

Bronco QB Kellen Moore was second only to Tim Tebow last year in passing efficiency (161.7 rating) as he threw for 3,536 yards and 39 touchdowns. Moreover, Moore threw just three interceptions in 2009 behind an offensive line that surrendered just five sacks in all of ’09.

Virginia Tech comes into this game off a 10-3 campaign in 2009 that ended with a 37-14 crushing of Lane Kiffin and Tennessee in the Chik-fil-A Bowl.  That win over the Vols gave VATech its sixth-straight 10-win season, all of which have come in the ACC.

The Hokies return Tyrod Taylor under center. Taylor showed promise last year with 13 passing touchdowns, but threw two interceptions in his final two starts of 2009 and got sacked 11 times in his last five games.  Darren Evans will be returning after sitting out last season with an injury, so Ryan Williams will get some help in the backfield after a “2009 Rookie of the Year” campaign that saw him gain 1,655 yards on the ground with 21 scores.

On defense, the Hokies gave up just 295.5 YPG; good enough to secure a rank of 12th nationally. However, VATech is returning just 4 starters from their 2009 defensive unit.

This game is not an easy game to handicap, but the pros at FiveStarPick.com have broken down every stat, trend, injury report and weather forcast on this game to provide our members with a winning play.  Try FiveStarPick.com today for only ($19.99) and see if our talent for picking college and pro football winners exceeds your expectations.  We are the only sports handicapping service in the business that documents our last 30 plays, then displays them on our homepage for all to see.  It’s because we have nothing to hide…we just win games against the spread.  Join our family today and start your winning streak tonight.

Rick Riley – FiveStarPick.com

The 2010 Bowl Season continues on January 4th and the pros at FiveStarPick.com are working overtime to analyze the  Fiesta Bowl between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Boise State Broncos.  Las Vegas Sportsbooks list  TCU as 7.5-point favorites with a total of 55.

TCU (12-0 straight up, 8-3 against the spread) believed they would have a shot at the National Title game with a Texas loss, but they fell behind the Bearcats in the final BCS standings.

Boise State (13-0 SU, 8-4 Against The Spread) is looking to pick up its second BCS victory.  The Broncos averaged 42 ppg over their last seven wins this season and covered spreads as high as 30-points twice. The Broncos have an offensive line that has given up the fewest sacks in the nation (5) and their offensive unit leads the FBS in scoring (44.2 points per game). That kind of protection has allowed QB Kellen Moore to complete 65 percent of his passes for 3,325 yards, 39 touchdowns and only three interceptions.  Moore is tops in the nation in quarterback rating (167.4).

Boise State’s O Line doesn’t just prevent sacks, they also provide the blocking for the 20th most productive ground game in the nation (194.5 Rushing YPG). Their two stud running backs help as well.  Jeremy Avery has rushed for 1,131 yards and six scores, while Doug Martin has 723 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Last year these two teams met in the Poinsettia Bowl where TCU came away with a 17-16 win as a 3.5-point favorite. The Broncos were only able to muster 250 yards of total offense in that game, so Boise State will need to watch a lot of film and learn from last year’s mistakes to come away with a win in the Fiesta Bowl.

Texas Christian has one of the elite defenses in the country.  The Horned Frogs are 3rd in the country against the run (80.5 YPG) and 4th in the country defending the pass (152.8 YPG).  Their defensive line is averaging 2.7 sacks per game and TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes leads the nation with 11 ½ sacks.

TCU’s offense has playmakers too.  The Horned Frogs ranked 4th in the country in yards per game (469.1) this year. QB Andy Dalton was the Mountain West Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year completing 62 percent of his passes for 2,484 yards, 22 touchdowns and a passer rating of 159.6.

Dalton also has a good running game behind him.  The TCU rushing unit ranks 5th in the nation (256.5 YPG) on the ground behind 4 running backs.  Joseph Turner leads that crew with 732 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Now let’s talk trends…The Broncos have been dogs only 7 times in the last 5 years going 2-4-1 Against The Spread in those meetings. TCU is 34-15 Against The Spread as a favorite under Gary Patterson. The Horned Frogs are 5-2 Against The Spread in the postseason since 2002. Boise State is 3-2 Against The Spread in its last five bowls appearances. TCU is 18-9 Against The Spread dating back to 1996 against the WAC, while Boise State is 4-0 Against The Spread in its 4 games as a dog against the Mountain West.

If you are wondering who will cover the spread in the Fiesta Bowl, try FiveStarPick.com and eliminate the guesswork. For only $19.99 you can test us out and see if our talent for picking college and pro football winners exceeds your expectations.  We are the only sports handicapping service in the business who documents wins and losses and displays them on our homepage for all to witness.  It’s because we have nothing to hide…we just win games against the spread.  Join our family today and start your winning streak tonight.

Rick Riley – FiveStarPick.com