BEN BURNS
BEST BET "TOTAL" BLOWOUT

I'm playing on Boise State and San Jose State to finish UNDER the total. This total has dropped a couple of points. More often than not, I'd be playing against the line move. However, in this case, I feel that the move is warranted and that we're still getting solid value with the UNDER. I played on Boise State 'under' last week and noted that the Broncos were known for their high-powered offense but that their defense was also superb this year. The Broncos responded by allowing just seven points. Remarkably, they have now held five of six opponents to seven points or less. The Broncos will be matched up against another extremely tough defense. The Spartans limited New Mexico State to just 284 total yards and 14 points last week. Coach Tomey noted: "We had a lot of sacks, a lot of pressure, a lot of tackles for loss and the pressure was intense. Our defensive front is a good outfit." While the boxscore will show that the Spartans scored 31 points in that game, a closer look reveals that the final score was actually quite deceiving. That's because San Jose State managed only 201 total yards and 14 of the Spartans points came on interception returns for touchdowns. Additionally, the Spartans' only two offensive scoring drives (38 yards and 12 yards) both came when they had the advantage of playing on a short field. The previous week, San Jose State held Utah State to just seven points and a mere 190 yards. In three home games overall, the Spartans are allowing an average of only nine points and 196.7 yards. Not surprisingly, the UNDER has been profitable for both teams. The Broncos have seen four of their five games which had a total stay beneath the total. Meanwhile, the Spartans have seen the UNDER go 5-1 in their six games which had an over/under line. Including last year's meeting at Boise, the UNDER is now a remarkable 17-2 in the Spartans' last 19 conference games. The Spartans have also seen the UNDER go a highly profitable 38-13 their last 51 games with a total when they were listed as underdogs. The UNDER is 11-5 the last 16 times that Boise played on the road and I look for another well-played defensive battle this evening. *Best Bet