The Fresno State Bulldogs will celebrate the start of their centennial season when they face the Connecticut Huskies in a non-conference matchup at Fresno, Calif., on Saturday. It will be UConn's first game in nearly two years, while Fresno State is looking to begin its first full season since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Bulldogs played an abbreviated six-game schedule in 2020, finishing 3-3 in the Mountain West Conference, which abandoned its divisional format for the year. UConn went 2-10 in 2019.
The game from Bulldog Stadium is slated to start at 2 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Fresno State's defense allowed 430 yards per game last season, while UConn's allowed 466.8 in 2019. The Bulldogs are favored by 27.5 points in the latest Connecticut vs. Fresno State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 63.5. Before making any Fresno State vs. UConn picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. For the 2020 season, it went 56-37 on all top-rated picks and returned over $1,200 on its top-rated spread and over-under picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Connecticut vs. Fresno State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Fresno State vs. Connecticut:
- Connecticut vs. Fresno State spread: Fresno State -27.5
- Connecticut vs. Fresno State over-under: 63.5 points
- Connecticut vs. Fresno State money line: UConn +2000, Fresno State -10000
- UC: In 2019, the Huskies averaged 18.92 points per game
- FS: The Bulldogs scored 38 points off turnovers in six games in 2020
Why Fresno State can cover
The Bulldogs have had a lot of success in season openers, going 57-38-4 all-time. Fresno State is also looking to win its 13th of the last 14 home openers, and will be looking to go to 1-0 for the first time since 2018. The Bulldogs have a deep team and return 20 of their 22 position starters from 2020. Those starters own a collective 204 career games started between them, including 89 on offense and 115 on defense. Defensive tackle Kevin Atkins leads the team with 32 starts.
Among Fresno State's returning weapons is junior wide receiver Jalen Cropper, who led the team in receptions last year. In just six games, Cropper caught 37 passes for 520 yards (14.1 average) and five touchdowns. In a season-ending loss to New Mexico on Dec. 12, he caught 12 passes for 134 yards and a score. His best game was a 10-reception, 202-yard and three-touchdown performance at Utah State on Nov. 14.
Why UConn can cover
The Huskies return a number of offensive weapons from their 2019 squad, including several talented underclassmen. One of those is sophomore wide receiver Cameron Ross. As a freshman in 2019, he led UConn in receiving with 60 catches for 723 yards (12.1 average) and four touchdowns. His best game was an eight-catch, 169-yard, two touchdown performance against East Carolina on Nov. 23, 2019. He also rushed the ball three times for 27 yards (9.0 average), including a long of 17 yards.
Sophomore wide receiver Heron Maurisseau also returns and is expected to start along with Ross. Maurisseau finished 2019 with 10 catches for 113 yards, including a long of 24 yards. As a true freshman a year earlier, he caught four passes for 88 yards, including a 74-yarder, and a score.
How to make UConn vs. Fresno State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 71 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Fresno State vs. Connecticut? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
