Week 1 of college football action kicks off on Thursday with a handful of games to open the season. At 5:30 p.m. EST, the No. 25 Boise State Broncos travel to the Sunshine State for a matchup against the South Florida Bulls. This non-conference tilt pits one of the Mountain West’s top teams against an AAC competitor, so it should provide plenty of fun football along with some opportunities for player prop bets.
Here are the top USF vs. Boise State player props on DraftKings Sportsbook.
USF vs. Boise State best prop bets
Boise State enters this contest as 5.5-point favorites with the total set at 62.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Read a full preview of this matchup here.
Sire Gaines 81+ rushing yards (-116)
Ashton Jeanty stole the show for the Boise State offense as the nation’s top running back and eventual Doak Walker Award winner, as well as the second-place finalist for the Heisman Trophy. While he’s since moved on to the NFL, freshman Sire Gaines was redshirted last season after an injury limited him to just three games and now looks like the heir to this rushing attack. Sure, the shoes left behind are massive, but Gaines may just have the talent to fill them. With 20 carries last season, he picked up 156 yards and one touchdown while averaging 7.8 yards per attempt. As a preseason pick on the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year watch list, expectations are high for the halfback.
There are a couple factors working in Gaines’ favor in the season opener. First off, the Broncos return four starters from last year’s offensive line. That continuity means so much for a team, but especially when you’re looking at the chemistry involved with a unit in the trenches. The other reason to feel bullish on this prop bet is that USF surrendered 167.6 rushing yards per game last season, 86th in the nation. The Bulls brought in some transfers and likely have a deeper unit in the defensive trenches this year, but until they prove it on the field, there’s little reason to think they’ll tighten up the run defense enough to stop Gaines.
Maddux Madsen 220+ passing yards (-132)
While Gaines and the Broncos’ run game should have their way on Thursday, there’s reason to feel confident in their passing attack too. Boise State will likely run a more balanced attack this season since they don’t have an otherworldly bell-cow talent like Jeanty, and they return last year’s starter under center as well.
Maddux Madsen completed 62.4% of his attempts for a conference-best 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2024. We know he’s a winning quarterback, and with most of his offensive line intact as well as a couple of returning players at skill positions like wideout Cam Camper and tight end Matt Lauter, he’s positioned to put forth another strong campaign. After averaging 215.6 yards per game in a run-heavy offense, a more balanced approach means Madsen could certainly exceed that total on a weekly basis. He’s experienced and calm under center, so I feel fine taking him to post at least 220 yards this week even against a USF defense that returns some key pieces. If the theme’s not yet clear, it’s Boise State to the moon this week.
