Mountain West Conference 2024 Preview: NCAA Football Predictions & Team Insights

Let’s explore one of my preferred G5 conferences in the country – the Mountain West Conference. This conference is characterized by a major preseason favorite expected to clinically clinch the entire conference. But, could there be other teams in the race for this title?

Even though the Boise State Broncos aren’t officially ranked, they’re predicted to emerge as the MWC champions and are considered approximately the 28th best team in the country. Currently, it doesn’t appear that any other teams pose a real threat to their title, but there’s still a lot of football left to play. Last year saw all 12 teams, with conference play records ranging from 6-2 to 2-6, fiercely competing against each other. The UNLV Rebels, who lost to Boise in the MW Championship, are likely to face them again this year.

Check out our full NCAA Football 2024 Preview!

Odds to Win Mountain West Championship

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, and industry leader in the sports betting world offering a wide variety of markets and the best odds at any book. Use code BNEWS and sign up today for a 50% deposit match up to $1,000 AND $10 CASH instantly in your account.

• Boise State -150
• UNLV +350
• Fresno State +600
• Air Force +1200
• Wyoming +1600
• Colorado State +1800
• Hawaii +3300
• San Diego State +5000
• Utah State +5000
• San Jose State +5000
• Nevada +15000
• New Mexico +20000

Boise State is notably the second most favored team to win their conference, following Liberty in the C-USA (-225), making things tougher for the rest of the conference. The Broncos are aiming for a second successive Mountain West Championship and are hoping to make it to their third consecutive MW Championship game. This conference has remained stable amidst various realignments, hence it faces fewer surprises compared to other leagues!

Let’s delve in to determine a Mountain West Champion!

Check out our Big 12 Conference 2024 Preview!

Mountain West is Boise’s to Lose

Following Spencer Danielson’s leadership in securing a 3-1 record and a Mountain West Title for the Broncos, Boise State appointed him as the full-time coach for the 2024 season. He took over from Andy Avalos in early November. Danielson was successful in getting the Broncos back on course and winning the conference title, however, they suffered a loss to UCLA in the LA Bowl.

Maddux Madsen, a sophomore, secured the starting QB position over USC Transfer Malachi Nelson, and he has an exceptional supporting team. Running Back Ashton Jeanty performed remarkably with over 1,200 yards on the ground, an additional 500 in the air, and 19 touchdowns. They retain four out of five offensive linemen, and they’ve boosted their receiver power with a few transfers. Although their defense may not be particularly noteworthy, it boasts a great deal of talent. Defensive End Ahmed Hassanein achieved 12.5 sacks last season, with Andrew Simpson overseeing the linebackers.

The issue I have with Boise is that they will face all their four most challenging games on the road.

Boise plays:

• @ Oregon
• @ UNLV
• @ Wyoming
• @ Colorado State

They are not only avoiding Fresno State but also inviting the overlooked members of the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State. Boise is the host to all the lower-tier Mountain West teams, with their most challenging games likely to be away games, which could be quite intimidating in this league.

Who Can Hold Off Broncos?

UNLV Rebels

It appears that the Rebels are widely considered to have the best shot at upsetting the highly favored Broncos. After their star freshman QB transferred to USC after a nine-win season, UNLV recruited two senior standouts to compete for the position. Whoever wins will have returning receiver Ricky White III at their disposal, who had an impressive 81-1,386-7 season last year and is looking to exact revenge on Boise.

There are undoubtedly some uncertainties surrounding the UNLV defense, however, Head Coach Barry Doom has bolstered the squad with ten defensive transfers, including Safety Jalen Catalon from Texas. If they can manage to prevent the opposing team from scoring an average of 28.6 points per game as they did last season, the Rebels may pose a threat to Boise, especially since their game this season will be hosted in Las Vegas, providing the Rebels with home field advantage. While UNLV will be welcoming their two most formidable conference rivals to their home turf, they face a difficult match early in the season at #22 Kansas.

Fresno State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are gearing up for the 2024 season with Tim Skipper, a former assistant, taking the reins as interim coach. They aim to kick off the season as successfully as they did last year when they started 8-1. Despite a three-game losing streak in November that kept them out of the Mountain West Title game, the team is hopeful with several returning starters. The offense is in a strong position with QB Mikey Keene, RB Malik Sherrod, and receivers Jalen Moss, Mac Dalena, and Josiah Freeman. Four out of five OL starters are also returning, setting the stage for a promising season.

The defense had a tough time defending the run last year, conceding 200 yards in MW play. However, Fresno has brought in USC Transfer Korey Foreman to help improve that this year. With CB Cam Lockridge returning from injury after only playing four games last year, the secondary should certainly see some improvement. While Fresno doesn’t have to face Boise State in conference play, they have challenging games against Michigan, UNLV, and Air Force, which could be considered their toughest matches on the schedule.

Colorado State Rams

This season, I’m extremely optimistic about the Colorado State Rams, and here’s why. Their returning quarterback, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, had an impressive performance last season, throwing for 3,400 yards and 22 TDs. Despite significant six-figure NIL deals, he chose to stay with the Rams. This shows his trust in Head Coach Jay Norvell and his dedication to the team. I’m all in with him. In addition, standout receiver Tory Horton will be back for what could be his final season, and three offensive linemen will also return. Running back Justin Marshall, who showed strong performance in the previous season’s final games, is another returning player.

The Rams, boasting a defense with six returning starters and a secondary that ranks among the best in the conference, kick off their season in Austin against #4 Texas. They also face their rival, Colorado, early on in the season. I anticipate the Rams avenging their previous loss to the Buffalos this year and dominating the rest of the Mountain West. This season, Colorado State dodges Boise and UNLV, but they do encounter Air Force and Fresno on their turf. Assuming they perform well, I foresee a Colorado State team with 2-3 losses making it to the Mountain West Championship.

Final Mountain West Predictions

• #1 Boise State
• #2 Fresno State
• #3 Colorado State
• #4 Air Force
• #5 UNLV
• #6 Wyoming
• #7 Hawaii
• #8 San Diego State
• #9 Utah State
• #10 San Jose State
• #11 New Mexico
• #12 Nevada

Check out our SEC 2024 Preview!

Still Didn’t Get Your NCAA Football Fix?

Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well.

For additional NCAA Football content, explore the pages below.

• NCAA Football 2024 Preview
• ACC 2024 Preview
• SEC 2024 Preview
• Big Ten Preview
• Big 12 Preview
• NCAA Football Expert Picks