This week's picks

Texas State vs. Boise State Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Texas State at Boise State

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 10:00 PM ET, Albertsons Stadium.

The numbers say: Boise State, 77% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 10:00 PM ET
TVThe CW Network
WhereAlbertsons Stadium
Weather50°, light rain, wind 7 mph
LineBoise State −10.5, total 63.5
Line movementOpened Boise State −12.5; moved 2 points toward Texas State. Total opened 65.5, down 2.
SeriesFirst meeting

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Boise State by 11.980%71
PRIMEBoise State by 11.980%
EloBoise State77%
The lineBoise State −10.5, opened −12.563.5, opened 65.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Texas State or Boise State?

The numbers say: Boise State. 79% chance to win

Which matchups decide Texas State vs. Boise State?

All three ratings favor Boise State, by 11.9 to 11.9 points. Boise State's best matchup is its pass protection, 25th in sacks allowed per dropback, against Texas State's pass rush at 136th. Texas State's way back in is its offense, 19th in yards per play, against Boise State's defense at 134th.

Texas State with the ball

Boise State with the ball

Who's out for Texas State and Boise State?

Texas State

Boise State

How Texas State and Boise State compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Texas State and Boise State are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Texas State's and Boise State's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Texas State and Boise State?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Boise State 9.4 points better (29th to 65th). PRIME also has Boise State ahead, by 9.4. Elo, which only sees results, also has Boise State ahead (28th to 57th).

Texas StateBoise State
SP+ overall1.5 (65th)10.9 (29th)
SP+ offense33.5 (24th)34.2 (18th)
SP+ defense31.6 (109th)23.6 (51st)
SP+ special teams-0.4 (113th)0.3 (28th)
PRIME net2.8 (56th)12.2 (20th)
PRIME offense6.92 (27th)11.03 (11th)
PRIME defense-2.51 (93rd)1.14 (58th)
PRIME SOS-4.5 (90th)-3.6 (81st)
PRIME SOR-0.3 (77th)1.9 (21st)
Elo1565 (57th)1718 (28th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Texas State's offense ranks 36th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Boise State defense it faces ranks 47th in EPA per play allowed. Boise State's offense ranks 1st against Texas State's 105th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Boise State's offense against Texas State's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Texas State's backs in the open field: 4th in adjusted open-field yards per carry, against Boise State's 122nd-ranked defense. That's a mismatch. Adjust for opponents and Texas State's offense falls from 16th to 36th in EPA per play: a lot of that came against soft defenses.

Texas StateBoise State
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.16 (36th)+0.28 (1st)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.22 (45th)+0.33 (9th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.14 (14th)+0.18 (2nd)
Success rate (adjusted)47.3% (14th)45.9% (27th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)48.7% (40th)48.2% (44th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)37.4% (1st)35.4% (7th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.94 (56th)0.97 (13th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)3.08 (33rd)3.19 (9th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.55 (4th)1.31 (23rd)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.16 (105th)+0.07 (47th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.27 (114th)+0.11 (19th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.07 (72nd)+0.10 (105th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)44.4% (102nd)40.4% (47th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.93 (64th)0.97 (116th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.94 (64th)2.89 (47th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)0.98 (29th)1.36 (122nd)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Texas State or Boise State?

Texas State is about as good throwing (22nd in EPA per pass) as running (8th). Boise State is about as good throwing (17th in EPA per pass) as running (5th). On third down, Boise State has the edge: its offense ranks 43rd in EPA per third-down play, and the defense it faces ranks 109th.

Texas StateBoise State
EPA per play+0.28 (16th)+0.32 (7th)
EPA per pass+0.40 (22nd)+0.42 (17th)
EPA per rush+0.25 (8th)+0.26 (5th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.65 (22nd)+0.55 (43rd)
EPA per play allowed+0.16 (102nd)+0.03 (36th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.34 (115th)+0.05 (27th)
EPA per rush allowed−0.02 (38th)+0.09 (83rd)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.53 (109th)+0.20 (17th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Texas State or Boise State?

Texas State outscores FBS opponents by 7.1 a game, and Boise State by 13.8. Texas State's offense ranks 18th in scoring, and the Boise State defense it faces ranks 38th in points allowed. Boise State's offense ranks 36th against Texas State's 111th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Boise State's offense against Texas State's defense.

Texas StateBoise State
Points scored37.1 (18th)34.4 (36th)
Points allowed30.0 (111th)20.6 (38th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Texas State's best matchup is early downs: its offense ranks 23rd in SUPLEX, and Boise State's defense ranks 106th in SUPLEX allowed. That's a mismatch. Boise State has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 38th, against a defense ranked 56th in 3rd down conversions allowed.

Texas StateBoise State
Pass yards / game249.1 (47th)207.9 (94th)
Rush yards / game274.4 (5th)239.6 (10th)
Yards per play7.05 (19th)6.05 (78th)
Yards per carry6.22 (11th)6.01 (19th)
Yards per attempt8.72 (29th)6.30 (114th)
Completion %70.5% (28th)53.7% (115th)
Success rate50.0% (16th)44.0% (67th)
Explosive play rate13.9% (36th)10.8% (102nd)
3rd down conversion55.6% (3rd)45.1% (38th)
Sack rate (taken)5.2% (64th)3.4% (25th)
INT rate (thrown)2.5% (77th)0.0% (1st)
SUPLEX62.7% (23rd)54.6% (82nd)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Texas State's defense is best placed to limit big plays: it ranks 64th in explosive plays allowed, and Boise State's offense is bottom-40 in explosive play rate (102nd). Boise State's defense is best placed to pick off passes: it ranks 35th in interception rate, and Texas State's offense is middle of the pack at avoiding interceptions (77th).

Texas StateBoise State
Pass yards allowed / game292.4 (135th)258.6 (120th)
Rush yards allowed / game114.7 (18th)115.3 (19th)
Yards per play allowed5.65 (66th)7.37 (134th)
Yards per carry allowed3.92 (15th)5.08 (87th)
Yards per attempt allowed6.99 (65th)10.00 (135th)
Success rate allowed42.9% (80th)42.3% (72nd)
Explosive plays allowed10.9% (64th)14.1% (118th)
3rd downs allowed37.1% (56th)33.3% (29th)
Sack rate (generated)2.0% (136th)7.6% (34th)
INT rate (generated)1.4% (111th)3.3% (35th)
SUPLEX allowed56.5% (86th)59.5% (106th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Boise State has the better number in 9 of 12. The biggest gap is power success allowed, where Texas State ranks 7th and Boise State 113th.

Texas StateBoise State
Big Uglies: offensive line55.0 (32nd)64.4 (4th)
Big Uglies: defensive front50.9 (63rd)55.6 (26th)
Line yards per carry3.33 (23rd)3.51 (8th)
Line yards allowed per carry2.72 (40th)2.62 (23rd)
Second-level yards per carry1.16 (48th)1.08 (67th)
Open-field yards per carry2.51 (2nd)1.68 (23rd)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)14.0% (21st)11.1% (5th)
Stuff rate (defense)25.9% (10th)26.8% (7th)
Power success (short yardage)70.0% (86th)84.4% (9th)
Power success allowed56.0% (7th)78.6% (113th)
Front-seven havoc allowed8.3% (44th)5.3% (7th)
Front-seven havoc8.0% (109th)11.1% (35th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Boise State is +0.6 in turnover margin a game and Texas State is −0.7. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 6-point edge for Boise State. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it.

Texas StateBoise State
Interceptions thrown / game0.71 (61st)0.00 (1st)
Fumbles lost / game0.71 (99th)0.43 (53rd)
Giveaways / game1.43 (88th)0.43 (3rd)
Interceptions / game0.57 (85th)0.86 (45th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.14 (121st)0.14 (121st)
Takeaways / game0.71 (118th)1.00 (88th)
Turnover margin / game-0.7 (116th)+0.6 (26th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Boise State has the more talented roster (74th in the 247Sports talent composite; Texas State is 83rd). Boise State also plays further above its talent: +12.2 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Texas State's +4.0.

Texas StateBoise State
Talent composite623.2 (83rd)641.2 (74th)
Blue-chip ratio3.8% (103rd)3.1% (106th)
Players on roster107 (94th)114 (44th)
Rated by 247Sports78 (70th)96 (6th)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players3 (94th)3 (94th)
3-star players74 (14th)87 (1st)
Below 3-star1 (86th)6 (20th)
2026 transfers in19 (84th)12 (124th)
Transfer share24.4% (91st)12.5% (128th)
SP+ vs. talent+4.0 (43rd)+12.2 (11th)
Returning production76.0% (16th)66.3% (30th)
Returning passing production99.8% (17th)94.3% (32nd)
Returning rushing production48.0% (67th)100.4% (17th)
Returning receiving production79.1% (13th)39.6% (66th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)74 (74th)51 (51st)
Recruiting rank, last four classes92.2 (87th)61.0 (62nd)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Texas StateBoise State
Roster value— ()$17.3M (69th)
Roster cost per win— ()$2.9M (2nd)
Projected wins per $1M— ()0.50 (2nd)
SP+ vs. payroll— ()+8.8 (7th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Texas State is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (+0.9). Boise State is +2.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (+1.3).

Texas StateBoise State
RECEIPTS (total)+0.5 (57th)+2.5 (8th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.9 (45th)+0.5 (68th)
Roster RECEIPTS-0.1 (76th)-0.0 (68th)
Coach RECEIPTS+0.2 (59th)+1.3 (16th)
Luck RECEIPTS-0.5 (102nd)+0.7 (27th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Texas State at Boise State: questions people ask

Texas State vs. Boise State prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Boise State, 79% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Boise State's best matchup is its pass protection, 25th in sacks allowed per dropback, against Texas State's pass rush at 136th.

Where can I watch Texas State vs. Boise State, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 10:00 PM ET at Albertsons Stadium. It's on The CW Network.

What's the projected score of Texas State vs. Boise State?

SP+ projects Boise State 41–30. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Texas State at Boise State?

DraftKings has Boise State −10.5, total 63.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Texas State vs. Boise State series history?

This is the first meeting.

Who are the players to watch in Texas State vs. Boise State?

Texas State: Brad Jackson (1,630 passing yards), Torrance Burgess Jr. (878 rushing yards) and Chris Dawn Jr. (400 receiving yards). Boise State: Maddux Madsen (1,455 passing yards), Dylan Riley (954 rushing yards) and Rasean Jones (428 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Texas State at Boise State?

Texas State's is Brad Jackson (1,630 passing yards this season); Boise State's is Maddux Madsen (1,455 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Texas State and Boise State: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.