Butler vs Boise State Prediction & Picks: Bulldogs, Broncos Battle for Fifth in Florida

While winning the trophy is the ultimate aim for college basketball teams playing in early-season tournaments, the opportunity to pick up a couple of potentially good wins is also a goal. Butler and Boise State won’t be battling it out for the title at the ESPN Events Invitational, but the winner of their matchup today (4:00 pm ET, ESPN2) will take home fifth place, as well as a win or two that could be important come March.

The Bulldogs (4-2) opened their tournament participation with a 91-86 loss to FAU but bounced back with an 88-78 win over Penn State to advance to today’s fifth-place game.

The Broncos (3-2) opened with an 82-75 loss to Virginia Tech, but after eking out a 65-61 win over VCU on Friday, they will have the chance to leave the Sunshine State with two wins.

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For two teams who hope to end on the right side of the March Madness bubble, this matchup could prove to be very, very pivotal.

Butler hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2018 and hasn’t appeared in any sort of postseason tournament since the 2019 NIT, but in Thad Matta’s second year back on the sideline, the Bulldogs will be hoping to make a move in the brutal Big East and return to relevance after dropping off of the map in recent years.

Boise State is eyeing a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, which would be a program first. And after striking out in their first two opportunities to pick up a win over a power conference foe, Leon Rice’s Broncos will surely be highly motivated for this contest, which could and should be close.

Butler vs Boise State Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• Butler +1.5 (-110)
• Boise State -1.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 143 (-110)
• Under 143 (-110)

Moneyline

• Butler +105
• Boise State -125

Butler vs Boise State Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Butler to win

Picks: Butler ML (+105 at Bovada) & Butler/Boise State over 143 (-110 at Bovada)

After finishing 14-18 and coming in ninth in the Big East last season, Matta hit the transfer portal hard to put together a group that could end the program’s run of three straight losing seasons and perhaps challenge for a March Madness berth.

It’s too early still to say what this group can be, but Matta’s transfer haul is making a major impact. Butler’s top six scorers, top rebounder, and top distributor are all transfers, and their performances in the ESPN Events Invitational indicate that things might be coming together.

The Bulldogs more than held their own against FAU and even led by four with a little over eight minutes left in an eventual 91-86 loss, then put up 88 points in a ten-point win over Penn State on Friday.

Given that Butler hasn’t averaged 70+ points per game since the 2018-19 season and averaged only 65.3 PPG last season, this scoring is a welcome sight and a positive sign.

The addition of power conference transfers Pierre Brooks (Michigan State) and Posh Alexander (St. John’s) have been a big boost, and experienced scorers Jahmyl Telfort (Northeastern) and D.J. Davis (UC Irvine) have hit the ground running at Butler.

Top Players for Butler

• Pierre Brooks: 15.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG
• Jahmyl Telfort: 14.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG
• D.J. Davis: 12.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.3 APG
• Posh Alexander: 10.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.5 APG

In the win over Penn State, Brooks poured in a career-high 26 points, while Telfort followed up a season-high 19 points against FAU with 18 against Penn State.

Can they keep it going against Boise State? After allowing 85 points in a 17-point loss at Clemson and 82 in the seven-point loss to Virginia Tech, the Broncos put in a better defensive performance against VCU, as the Rams shot only 39.6% from the field and 27.3% from three and turned the ball over 14 times.

But I think they may be in for a harder time against Butler, who seems to be heading in the right direction after some tough seasons for the program.

In Chibozu Agbo, Tyson Degenhart, and Max Rice, the Broncos do have some guys who can score, but they would much rather keep this one in the 60s if possible. I don’t think that will quite happen, however.

Line movement this morning has been rather interesting. Butler was favored by a point, while the total has dropped by two points. Rather than scare me off, that gives me the opportunity to get better numbers for two plays that I really like.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men’s Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women’s Wooden Award Winner Odds