2024 Mountain West Conference Football Preview, Tips and Best Bets

College football season starts in five Saturdays, and it’s time to start researching the 2024 season-long games. The Mountain West Conference will add Oregon State and Washington State as satellite members. They’ll play a Mountain West Conference schedule, but the games won’t count toward conference standings.

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2024 Mountain West Conference Football Preview, Tips and Best Bets

Favorite Mountain West Conference 2024: Boise State +100

Boise State always seems to be a top contender in the Mountain West, but this year the Broncos are the favorites for 2024.

Boise State has six starters back on offense. That list includes star running back Ashton Jeanty and three of the five offensive linemen.

The Broncos also added former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson at quarterback via the transfer portal. Nelson comes into Boise as a redshirt freshman with three total pass attempts at USC. He is projected as a Day 1 starter and has a chance to be among the best quarterbacks the Broncos have ever had if he sticks around for a few years.

On defense, the Broncos return 11 starters to a defense that ranked fourth in the Mountain West in scoring last year. They also added depth to their defensive line and secondary via the transfer portal.

Boise only has seven conference games this year. However, they host Utah State, San Diego State and Nevada. They have two back-to-back road spots, but the first has a bye week between games. The other back-to-back road spot includes trips to San Jose State and Wyoming.

The Broncos went 6-2 in the conference last year and have a better offense and one of the best defenses in the conference. A 6-1 mark is not out of the question and that should be enough to get Boise State into the conference championship.

Boise State is one of the safest bets on the board and in the event of a tie it is playable.

2024 Mountain West Conference Candidate: Fresno State +400

Unfortunately, the Fresno State Bulldogs find themselves in a strange situation. Head coach Jeff Tedford has just stepped down due to medical concerns, and Tim Skipper will take over for the 2024 season.

Skipper was the assistant head coach/linebackers coach. He was acting head coach for last season’s New Mexico Bowl and has been promoted to interim head coach for this season.

It’s a shame that Tedford had to step down before the season started, but the Bulldogs made the right decision. They need a defenseman who can get emotional and motivate his guys. Skipper is that type of guy, and he should be able to keep Fresno State on track even if Tedford steps down.

Fresno State returns starting quarterback Mikey Keene, four offensive linemen and a few skill position guys on offense. They also added depth to their receiver corps via the transfer portal.

On defense, the Bulldogs return five starters, including top tacklers linebacker Malachi Langley and safety Dean Clark. They also added a couple of nice pieces through the portal, the biggest catch being defensive end Korey Foreman from USC.

As far as the schedule goes, Fresno State has a very nice conference schedule. The Bulldogs only have one back-to-back road game, and that is in September against New Mexico and UNLV. Fresno State has to travel to Colorado Springs to play Air Force.

They should finish the year with just one or two losses in the regular season, and face Boise State in the 2024 Mountain West Conference championship game.

2024 Mountain West Conference Dark Horse: Air Force +1200

If you’re looking for a team with a long shot to throw some money at, Air Force is the team to target. This is more of a system play than a “they added a ton” play, but it makes sense as a long shot.

Air Force isn’t really losing guys to the portal, but they’re not using their portal to improve either. The Falcons are building from within, using the same systems and creating continuity. They’re only getting a few starters back on offense and defense, but that’s not unusual. Every starter is a junior or senior who’s been in the system for multiple years.

The Falcons have an incredibly favorable schedule. Air Force avoids Boise State and UNLV. They get home spots against San Jose State, Colorado State and Fresno State. All three are winnable.

The Falcons will have road games against Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada and San Diego State. Wyoming and San Diego State are tough spots, but they are not unwinnable. Even if they lose both games, they can still go 5-2 by winning in Colorado Springs and beating New Mexico and Nevada.

At 12-1 odds, Air Force is a dead heat, but it always has a chance because of the quality of the coach and the system the Falcons employ.

Total number of wins you must bet: Hawaii over 4.5 wins

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors are coming off a 5-8 season, and their win total is just 4.5. What? The bookies are asleep at this point.

Hawaii has two FCS schools on the schedule and home games against New Mexico and Nevada. That’s four wins. The Warriors just need to win one of their other seven games and they’ll win.

Hawaii has their starting quarterback, several capable receivers and most of their offensive line back from last year. They also have seven starters on defense back. All seven are linebackers or defensive backs, but they picked up a few key pieces for the defensive line through the portal.

There’s some juice in the over, so don’t be surprised if the books move that total to five wins at the start of the season. Jump on now, get the over to 4.5 wins and set yourself up for a cash.

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The College Football Experience podcast is in full swing with team previews. Check out the latest episodes as Colby, NC Nick, Patty C, and a bunch of others discuss the roster changes, schedule, and betting odds for each team. Tune in to TCE, grab our expert college football betting tips, and let it rip!