After their seven-win season was spoiled by Eastern Michigan in the Idaho Potato Bowl, can head coach Brent Brennan lead his Spartans to an appearance in the Mountain West Championship Game in 2023?
Not according to the latest college football odds that sit right at 5.5 for the total San Jose State win projections this fall.
College Football Odds – San Jose State Win Projections: O/U 5.5 Total Wins
The Mountain West feels wide open at the top, and San Jose State is a potential dark horse to make a run.
Now in his second season with the Spartans after transferring from Hawaii, quarterback Chevan Cordeiro enters his senior season ready to make a statement. Last season, Cordeiro threw for 3,251 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Though they lose Elijah Cooks, Justin Lockhart is primed to take his place as the top pass catcher.
While the passing game was successful in both efficiency and explosiveness, the rushing game was the exact opposite. They were 113th in marginal explosiveness despite being 26th in success rate a season ago.
It was the defense that carried the Spartans in 2022.
They faced the 46th-fewest plays (67) and 28th-fewest drives (11.8) per game last season. Their front seven is a blend of youth and experience but did lose Viliami Fehoko and Cade Hall’s 16.5 combined sacks.
Should You Bet on the Spartans this Season?
This team is an interesting one. The Spartans are currently listed by Draft Kings Sportsbook at -105 to go over 5.5 wins and -120 to go under.
The schedule sets up nicely to hit the over. They open at home against an interesting Oregon State team with non-conference games against Cal Poly and Toledo before entering their Mountain West schedule.
They do get Air Force, Fresno State, and San Diego State at home, with the only true difficult conference road game at Boise State on October 7th.
It won’t be an easy schedule, considering they won’t be one of the best teams in the conference, but six-plus wins should be an easy task.
Bet: Over 5.5 wins (-105)
