For the teams sitting outside the Power 5, the changes to the playoff system in college football can’t come soon enough. In the current setup, the 4 teams are almost always from the Power 5 although there have been a couple of exceptions to that rule. We will see other conferences get their shot once we get to a 12-team playoff, which will come into play next season.
For now, the status quo will remain, which is not good news for teams like the Fresno State Bulldogs, who are unlikely to get close to the postseason under the current format.
Let’s break down Fresno State Bulldogs this year. Here’s the preview for your college football betting lines to win the NCAA National Championship.
Fresno State Seminoles 2023 Season Betting Guide | MyBookie Regular Season Football Betting Preview
Fresno State Seminoles | Mountain West Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season
School: Fresno State University
Head coach: Mike Norvell | 4th season
Home field: Doak Campbell Stadium | 79,560
Fresno State Odds to Win Championship: +85000
Mountain West Conference Odds to Win: +380
The Bulldogs in 2022
Last season proved to be a very good one for coach Jeff Tedford in his first season on the sidelines. His team went 10-4, won the Mountain West, and closed out the year with a bowl game win and a 10-4 record. When you consider that he took over this team after a 10-win season, you could say that this year promises to be a good deal tougher, especially with some key personnel losses on both sides of the football. The bat has been set pretty high for the Bulldogs after 2 very good seasons. The bookies seem to think that they will take a backward step this season, though, as they have the Bulldogs win total for 2023 set at 8.
Betting Odds for the Seminoles in 2023
Looking ahead to the coming season, you do have to believe that the Bulldogs have a shot at getting back to the Mountain West Championship Game, but it’s going to be a much tougher grind to get there than it was last season, thanks in large part to the holes that need to be filled after some seniors moved on. Offensively, this team looks fine, but there are some concerns on the defensive side of the football, so let’s get into all of that.
The biggest hole to fill is almost certainly at QB, with Jake Haener now in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints. The Bulldogs dipped into the transfer portal to land Mikey Keene, who was previously with UCF. He is going to have a tough time putting up the kind of stats that Haener did, but he is still a more than adequate replacement. Another issue that really needs to be addressed is the run defense, which was all too often put to the sword last year. If that does not get fixed, the Bulldogs could potentially be looking at a drop off from their win totals of the last 2 years.
The Bulldogs are in as 2nd favorite to win the Mountain West behind the Boise State Broncos. Their odds are currently on the board at +380, with the Broncos at +155. There really isn’t any point talking about the National Championship, as this team simply isn’t a factor. I think Fresno State has a decent shot at making it to the Conference Championship Game, although I think they are looking at 8 or 9 wins this season, which makes the win total a bit of a risky bet.
Bet Fresno State Seminoles to Win Championship
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Championship
2023 Fresno State Football Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All times ET | ||||
| 1 | Sep. 2 | at Purdue Boilermakers | Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN | 12:00pm ET |
| 2 | Sep. 9 | Eastern Washington Eagles | Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA | Time TBA |
| 3 | Sep. 16 | at Arizona State Sun Devils | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ | 10:30pm ET |
| 4 | Sep. 23 | Kansas State Wildcats | Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA | 10:30pm ET |
| 5 | Sep. 30 | Nevada Wolf Pack | Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA | Time TBA |
| 6 | Oct. 7 | at Wyoming Cowboys | War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, WY | Time TBA |
| 7 | Oct. 14 | at Utah State Aggies | Maverik Stadium, Logan, UT | 8:00pm ET |
| 8 | Oct. 21 | OFF | ||
| 9 | Oct. 28 | UNLV Rebels | Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA | Time TBA |
| 10 | Nov. 4 | Boise State Broncos | Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA | 10:00pm ET |
| 11 | Nov. 11 | at San Jose State Spartans | CEFCU Stadium, San Jose, CA | 10:30pm ET |
| 12 | Nov. 18 | New Mexico Lobos | Valley Children’s Stadium, Fresno, CA | Time TBA |
| 13 | Nov. 25 | at San Diego State Aztecs | Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA | Time TBA |
| 14 | Dec. 2 | Mountain West Championship | Site, City TBD | 3:00pm ET |
I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?
