Boise State vs. Northwestern picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?

jeremy cluff, arizona republic

Thu, Mar 16, 2023, 10:49 AM·4 min read

No. 10 seed Boise State and No. 7 seed Northwestern face off on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.

The game is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. MST and can be seen on truTV.

Who will win the game?

Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.

Boise State is a 1.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

Sports Chat Place: Take Boise State to cover against Northwestern

It writes: "I might try Boise State in this one. It’ll certainly be an interesting matchup regardless. The Broncos didn’t play well in the second half of the Utah State matchup, however they’ve been on a pretty good run despite their 2-3 record in the last five. Boise State is still scoring well with 66 or more points in eight of their last nine outings. As for Northwestern, they shot a rough 31.8 percent from the field in the Penn State game and were out-rebounded 41-37 overall. Northwestern has been scoring pretty modestly lately with 65 or fewer points in five straight games. If Boise State can find a good offensive tempo early I think they’ll be fine."

First Four NCAA Tournament picks: SE Missouri State vs. Texas A&M-CC | Pittsburgh vs. Mississippi State | Nevada vs. Arizona State | Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern
Thursday's NCAA Tournament game picks: West Virginia vs. Maryland | Furman vs. Virginia | Utah State vs. Missouri | Howard vs. Kansas | Charleston vs. San Diego State | Princeton vs. Arizona | Illinois vs. Arkansas | Auburn vs. Iowa | Oral Roberts vs. Duke | Colgate vs. Texas | Boise State vs. Northwestern | No. Kentucky vs. Houston | Louisiana vs. Tennessee | Penn State vs. Texas A&M | UNC Asheville vs. UCLA
Friday's NCAA Tournament game picks: USC vs. Michigan State | Kennesaw State vs. Xavier | UC Santa Barbara vs. Baylor | VCU vs. Saint Mary's | Vermont vs. Marquette | North Carolina State vs. Creighton | Iona vs. UConn | Providence vs. Kentucky | Drake vs. Miami | Grand Canyon vs. Gonzaga | Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis | Montana State vs. Kansas State | Kent State vs. Indiana

FanDuel: Boise State 65, Northwestern 63

Devon Platana writes: "I don't expect Northwestern's offense to pick up here. Boise State only surrenders 64.7 PPG (No. 32) while holding opponents to 41.5% shooting from the field (No. 42) and 31.0% from the three-point line (No. 32). The Broncos are also scoring 74.0 PPG over their last three outings — a number that's too much for the Wildcats, who have only scored 70-plus points once since Feb. 2. Back Boise State taking advantage of a vulnerable Northwestern squad."

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Fansided: Go with Boise State to cover against Northwestern

Iain MacMillan writes: "Sure, Northwestern is fantastic defensively, coming in at 18th in defensive efficiency, but the Broncos can hang with them in that area, coming in at 35th in defensive efficiency. Don’t even bother with the spread, I’m betting on Boise State to win this game outright. It’s time to fade the fraudulent Wildcats who stumbled down the stretch at the end of the season."

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Will Northwestern beat Boise State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Sportsbook Wire: Boise State 68, Northwestern 65

It writes: "Northwestern is 19-13-0 ATS this season. Boise State has put together a 17-14-1 record against the spread this year."

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World Sports Network: Go with Boise State to beat Northwestern

Caleb Tallman writes: "We believe the difference in this game will come down to the three-point shot. While these teams are similar statistically, there is a mismatch when we look at their three-point numbers. Boise State shoots the ball effectively from three, with their top two shooters making over 40% of their attempts. Northwestern was bottom four in the Big Ten in both shooting and defending the three this season. Another problem for Northwestern is that both of their top scorers are stuck in shooting slumps. Buie hasn’t made more than 30% of his shots in his previous five games, while Audige is averaging 8.6 points during that same span. These factors will lead to Boise State to win their NCAA Tournament first-round matchup on Thursday."