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The 22nd-ranked St. Bonaventure Bonnies will represent the Atlantic 10 Conference when they battle the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West during the first round of the 2021 Charleston Classic on Thursday afternoon. The Bonnies (2-0), who are ranked for the first time since landing at No. 10 on Jan. 19, 1971, return all five starters from last year's conference championship squad. The Broncos (1-1), who are 2-1 all-time against the other schools participating in the tournament, are allowing just 57 points per game so far this season. St. Bonaventure is allowing 53.5.

The game from TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET. Boise State is averaging 63 points per game, while St. Bonaventure averages 72.0. The Bonnies are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Boise State vs. St. Bonaventure odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 131.5. Before making any St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting analysis from the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has locked in on St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State and released its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Boise State vs. St. Bonaventure:

  • St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State spread: St. Bonaventure -4.5
  • St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State over-under: 131.5 points 
  • St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State money line: St. Bonaventure -200, Boise State +170
  • SB: The Bonnies are 7-1 against the spread in their last eight neutral site games 
  • BSU: The Broncos are 16-5-1 ATS in their last 22 games following an ATS loss 

Why St. Bonaventure can cover

The veteran Bonnies have been winning due to their defense. St. Bonaventure is holding opponents to 28 percent from the floor during the second half of games this season (16 of 56), and have held opponents to 60 points or fewer in 12 of the past 23 games, including both games in 2021-22. Senior forward Osun Osunniyi has been a force inside, averaging 4.5 blocks to go along with seven points and five rebounds per game. He was the Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season and is on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List for this year.

Redshirt senior Jalen Adaway, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and had two assists in the win over Canisius on Sunday. In 21 games, including 20 starts last year, he averaged 12.2 points and six rebounds per game. He also registered seven blocks and 11 steals, and was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week on Feb. 15, 2021. He appeared in 63 games at Miami (Ohio), including 46 starts in two seasons, averaging eight points and five rebounds in 26.8 minutes.

Why Boise State can cover 

The Broncos have played solid defense to open the season and have held their first two opponents to fewer than 60 points. Redshirt senior guard Marcus Shaver Jr., who missed the season opener with a hand injury, was in the starting lineup at UC Irvine and finished with 14 points, two rebounds and two steals. Last season, he appeared in 25 games, including 21 starts, averaging 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He began his collegiate career at Portland.

Also giving the Broncos a spark is senior guard Devonaire Doutrive, who has started the first two games of the season. He is averaging 13.5 points and six rebounds, including an 18-point effort in the season opener against Utah Valley on Nov. 9. He appeared in 18 games his junior year, including three starts, and was named honorable mention All-Mountain West by the media. In 2020-21, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He played 29 games in three semesters at Arizona before transferring.

How to make St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total. In fact, it says St. Bonaventure's Dominick Welch will better his average by more than two points, while Boise State's Marcus Shaver Jr. will score nearly one point more than he averaged last season. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Boise State vs. St. Bonaventure pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the St. Bonaventure vs. Boise State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.