Boise State gets a fresh shot at a marquee non-conference win Saturday, and oddsmakers think the Broncos have the edge this time.
After nearly pulling off one of Week 1’s biggest shocks, Boise State opens its home schedule against Memphis at newly renovated Albertsons Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday, and the game will air nationally on USA Network.
The Broncos are 7.5-point favorites, with Boise State listed at -285 on the moneyline and Memphis at +230. Boise State is 1-0 and 0-0 in the Pac-12, while Memphis comes in 2-0 and 0-0 in the American.
This is a matchup between two teams that entered the season with College Football Playoff hopes, and both have already shown something early. Boise State went into Autzen Stadium as a 24.5-point underdog and came agonizingly close to a stunner. Memphis, under first-year coach Charles Huff, started with a 27-21 Week 0 win over Mountain West favorite UNLV before following that up with a 42-24 win over Arkansas State.
The Broncos’ history in these spotlight games has not been pretty. Saturday’s near-upset of Oregon was Boise State’s 11th straight loss against a Power Four opponent. The Broncos have also dropped their last three games against American Conference teams, falling to South Florida in 2025, Memphis in 2023 and UCF in 2021.
That 2023 meeting with Memphis was the only previous game between the programs. In that one, Ashton Jeanty scored all four Boise State touchdowns, but the Broncos still came up short in a 35-32 road loss. Boise State fell to 2-3 overall after that game.
Six weeks later, head coach Andy Avalos was fired, and Spencer Danielson was promoted to interim head coach. Danielson then guided the Broncos to the first of three straight Mountain West championships, and the interim tag was eventually removed.
Saturday’s matchup also lands in a packed Pac-12 slate. All eight league teams are in action, with Boise State-Memphis one of several games drawing early betting attention.
Boise State is 1-0 against the spread, while Memphis is 2-0.
Early Pac-12 betting lines for Saturday, all times Mountain:
Washington State (+17.5) at Kansas State, 10 a.m. (TNT)
Utah State (+26.5) at Washington, 1:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Memphis at Boise State (-7.5), 4 p.m. (USA Network)
Southern Utah at Colorado State (-20.5), 5 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
San Diego State (+11.5) at UCLA, 5:15 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Texas Tech at Oregon State (+26.5), 5:30 p.m. (CBS)
Sacramento State at Fresno State (-18.5), 8:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
Game time is 4 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday, Sept. 12.
In Other News...
Boise State Has Two Troubling Questions Heading Into The Memphis Game
Boise States first public depth chart for the 2026 season brought a couple of notable updates ahead of its trip to Memphis, starting with a difficult one on the offensive line. Redshirt freshman right tackle Jacob Tracy is not listed after what head coach Spencer Danielson confirmed is a season-ending injury, a development that thins the Broncos protection options before they even get into the heart of the schedule.
There is also still a small special-teams puzzle to sort out. Boise State is continuing its kickoff and placekicking competition between Colton Boomer and Canaan Moore, with Boomer handling kickoffs and Moore taking field goals and extra points in Week 1. However that shakes out, it gives Memphis one more thing to monitor in a season opener that already carries more than the usual early-year uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Memphis Just Got The Offensive Breakout Tigers Fans Needed
Jaylin Carters name is suddenly part of the conversation around Memphis offense after the sophomore running back earned American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. His work against Arkansas State gave the Tigers the kind of ground game they have been waiting for, with Carter piling up 183 rushing yards, four touchdowns and more than 200 all-purpose yards in a 42-24 win that looked a lot more like the attack Memphis has been trying to build.
The larger significance goes beyond one hot afternoon. Memphis posted its highest rushing total since 2018 and its best overall offensive output since 2024 in the same game, a sign that the line, the backs and the play-calling all lined up at once. Carters breakout gives the Tigers a real reference point now, and the next step is figuring out whether this was a one-game surge or the start of something sturdier. [Read more 🡒]
Memphis Is Catching Boise State At A Very Interesting Time
Boise State walked away from its 34-27 loss to No. 2 Oregon with plenty of frustration but also a sense that the performance itself was not the issue. Head coach Spencer Danielson said he was proud of how his players competed, while stressing that the standard at Boise State still comes down to finding ways to win. He pointed to the need for improvement on both offense and defense, and he also noted that one specific game situation was mishandled, a reminder that close losses often hinge on details as much as execution.
Now the Broncos have to turn quickly to Memphis, which comes in undefeated and has started to look like one of the more complete teams on Boise State's schedule. Danielson singled out Memphis coach Charles Huff as well, a sign of the respect the Tigers have already earned before the matchup even kicks off. For Memphis, it is a chance to catch Boise State at a moment when the Broncos are still sorting through the lessons from a bruising trip to Eugene. [Read more 🡒]