Boise State vs. Colorado: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let’s take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Boise State vs. Colorado. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!
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2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: Boise State vs. Colorado
Boise State 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
Boise State feels like a silent assassin in this tournament coming out of the Mountain West. Their defense is limiting, allowing few perimeter attempts, with opponents shooting around 30 percent from deep. Opponents won’t get many second-chance looks off the Broncos, who own a top-five defensive rebounding percentage, and they will struggle to score in transition. With their methodical offensive pace of play and defense offering a high floor, Boise State can surprise this March as a team flying under the radar in a stacked Mountain West.
The issue is when Boise faces inflated competition. Against top-100 opponents this year, Boise State went 10-10, and their offensive efficiency dropped from 52nd to 140th. That’s concerning for pulling off a deep tournament run, especially considering the expected elevated matchup they will have in the second round. Tyson Degenhart and O’Mar Stanley make up a powerful frontcourt that defends the rim well, and Chibuzo Agbo can sling it from deep. Boise State doesn’t have much depth either, with bench minutes ranking outside the top 300. Their endurance for this tournament will be questioned, and their talent will be pushed. A win in the tournament would not be surprising, but putting together a deep tournament run would be.
Colorado 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
Colorado has been in bubble discussions for about a month now, and after a 1-4 stretch in February, it wasn’t looking great for the Buffs. A double-overtime win over USC seemed to turn things around for Colorado, which finished 8-1 to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament. Colorado prefers the interior look, with the second-highest rate of near-proximity shots in the nation.
K.J. Simpson is a straight baller who nearly brought this team to a Pac-12 tournament championship, and his elevated play was a big reason for Colorado’s late-season turnaround. Eddie Lampkin and Tristan da Silva are experienced frontcourt pieces, gobbling up rebounds at an impressive rate. And, of course, there’s Cody Williams, a projected lottery pick who is coming off an ankle injury but is an incredibly efficient player. Despite Colorado’s preference for going inside, the Buffs drain perimeter shots at nearly a 40 percent clip, a top-10 shooting percentage in college basketball. J’Vonne Hadley has been cold of late but can drain it from deep when given the chance.
Colorado’s all-around play makes this a dangerous team to face in March. The Buffaloes need to take care of the ball better if they want to make a legitimate tourney run, but with Simpson’s talent and the experience this team has, Colorado can surprise. The Buffs did have a sub-240-ranked nonconference schedule, so we have yet to see how they respond to elite competition, especially on a neutral court. Losses to Florida State and Colorado State earlier in the year were alarming, but this team seems to have improved over the last month and may have found its mojo.
2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Boise State vs. Colorado
The Boise State Broncos have held teams to 23.1% offensive rebounds per game this season. Opponents have also hit just 30.6% from downtown against the Broncos this year. Opponents will struggle to shoot and don’t get many second-chance opportunities off misses. Meanwhile, Colorado has nailed 39.4% from downtown and has hit 53.6% from inside the arc. The offense is much more consistent than Boise State’s. Neither team will earn a high rate of turnovers. However, the Buffaloes also make it difficult for teams to rebound and have held opponents to a 49.3% effective field goal percentage. I’ll stick with the better shooting team and back Colorado.
2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: Boise State vs. Colorado
Pick: Colorado -2 (-110 on DraftKings)
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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let’s take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
EAST REGION
- UCONN v Stetson (1v16)
- Iowa St. v South Dakota St. (2v15)
- Illinois v Morehead St. (3v14)
- Auburn v Yale (4v13)
- San Diego St. v UAB (5v12)
- BYU v Duquesne (6v11)
- Washington St. v Drake (7v10)
- Florida Atlantic v Northwestern (8v9)
MIDWEST REGION
- Montana St/Grambling St PLAY IN
- Virginia/Colorado St. PLAY IN
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s (2v15)
- Creighton vs. Akron (3v14)
- Kansas vs. Samford (4v13)
- Gonzaga vs. McNeese (5v12)
- South Carolina vs. Oregon (6v11)
- Utah St. vs. TCU (8v9)
SOUTH REGION
- Boise St./Colorado PLAY IN
- Houston vs. Longwood (1v16)
- Marquette vs. Western Kentucky (2v15)
- Kentucky vs. Oakland (3v14)
- Duke vs. Vermont (4v13)
- Wisconsin vs. James Madison (5v12)
- Texas Tech vs. NC State (6v11)
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (8v9)
WEST REGION
- Howard/Wagner PLAY IN
- Arizona vs. Long Beach St. (2v15)
- Baylor vs. Colgate (3v14)
- Alabama vs. Charleston (4v13)
- Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon (5v12)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico (6v11)
- Dayton vs. Nevada (7v10)
- Mississippi St. vs. Michigan St. (8v9)
2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks
Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!