San Diego State a -175 Favorite in Mountain West Tournament Opening Odds
By Eric Rosales in College Basketball
Updated: March 30, 2021 at 10:19 am EDTPublished:
- The Mountain West Tournament runs from March 4th through 7th at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV
- San Diego State the betting favorite as the Aztecs finished regular season at 28-1, including 17-1 in conference play
- Read on to find out all the trends, odds, picks and best bets for the Mountain West Tournament
The Mountain West Tournament kicks off March 4 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. There are a few teams that have put in the work and should have already punched their ticket to an at-large bid for March Madness.
For the few bubble teams, a great showing could solidify a berth, while other teams need to win outright to gain the lone automatic bid.
San Diego State and Utah State are vying for tournament seeding, but are there any other schools to look out for? Let’s explore the Mountain West.
2020 Mountain West Tournament Odds
| School | Odds |
|---|---|
| Â San Diego State | -175 |
| Utah State | +330 |
| Nevada | +1100 |
| UNLV | +1100 |
| Boise State | +1900 |
| Colorado State | +2200 |
| New Mexico | +5500 |
| Fresno State | +6500 |
| Air Force | +9000 |
| Wyoming | +10000 |
| San Jose State | +10000 |
Odds taken Mar. 1st
Mountain West Tournament Bracket
Aztecs Have No. 1 Seed in Sights
San Diego State has been the toast of the Mountain West, and, depending how everything shakes out from this weekend (four top-10 teams lost, including the no. 2-ranked Baylor Bears) and how the conference tournaments unfold, the Aztecs could potentially lock down one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament and improve their 2020 National Championship odds.
#5 San Diego State termine la saison régulière avec une dernière victoire contre Nevada.
Et Malachi Flynn a sorti les feux d’artifice.
36pts (record en carrière) à 13/20, 5reb et 5ast pour conclure sur un record de 28-1. pic.twitter.com/3U55wilBqH
— #MidMajors (@MidnightCampus) March 1, 2020
They put together one of their most impressive wins of the year in their regular season finale, coming back from 13 down to beat Nevada on the road. Presumptive conference player of the year Malachi Flynn poured in 36 points while playing all 40 minutes to win the game.
TCU upsets #2 Baylor.
Hard to imagine San Diego State winning out and not being a #1 seed.
— Jon Schaeffer (@jonschaeffer) February 29, 2020
Perhaps a dominant performance could move the 5th-ranked Aztecs into a top seed, though even if they get upset, they still will likely command a 2-seed on the strength of a 28-1 record and 17-1 conference mark.
Utah State Stumbles into Mountain West
The other team destined for the dance is Utah State, but the Aggies stagger into the MWC after falling to New Mexico in their regular season final. Some wonkiness on the oddsboards, as the Aggies were originally listed at +3300, but that mistake was rectified, and they sit at a more logical +330.
The 23-8 Aggies, who finished 12-6 in conference play, couldn’t hold a double-digit lead, but kept the second seed in the upcoming tournament, enjoying an opening round bye on Wednesday.
They have some promising pieces, led by standout guard Sam Merrill, who was second in conference scoring at 18.8 points, while also chipping in four rebounds and four assists per game on 44.7% shooting from the field and 40.8% from distance.
He’ll get help inside from Neemias Queta: the conference freshman of the year last season appeared in just 19 games as he battled injuries, but did average 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 62.3% from the field.
Other Teams to Look Out For
There is one team coming in hot, and should definitely be watching in the MWC: the Nevada Wolfpack. They made their presence known in the season finale, giving San Diego State all they could handle, but couldn’t close the deal. Still, Nevada had entered that game winners of six in a row. The Wolfpack finished the year 19-11, including a 12-6 mark in conference play.
FINAL: Nevada falls to #5 San Diego State 83-76.
Jalen Harris lead Nevada with 24 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb.
Pack finishing the regular season 19-11 overall, 12-6 in the conference. #BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/81IGpCLO39
— Nevada Sports Net (@NevadaSportsNet) March 1, 2020
They’ve been led by the conference’s leading scorer Jalen Harris, who averaged 21.8 points per game, while also chipping in 6.4 rebounds and just under four assists per game.
The host UNLV Runnin’ Rebels also enter on a nice streak, having reeled off five straight wins, including a 92-69 thrashing of San Jose State on Saturday. That gives them a 17-14 record and a 12-6 record in Mountain West. Entering as the 4th seed, it potentially sets up a rematch with SDSU in the semis. The Rebels are the only team to beat the Aztecs this season.
And don’t forget about the Colorado State Rams. They finished the year with a 20-11 mark, just the 11th time in program history they had hit 20 wins. Their strength is their team depth: no player averaged better than 13 points a game, but they do have four players averaging double digits.
What’s the Best Bet?
A team like San Diego State — head-and-shoulders above the rest of the field — might be prone to an upset.
But after losing their perfect season late in the year to UNLV, along with the chatter that they were a team only near the top because of poor strength of schedule, the Aztecs somehow have something to prove. With a top seed potentially in their grasp, this is just added motivation they need to continue their dream season.
While I do like the value in Nevada at +1100, this is the Aztecs’ title to claim.
The pick: San Diego State (-175)
SBD’s NCAA conference tournament coverage:
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
