The Colorado State men’s basketball team will do its best to stay within striking range of the Mountain West leaders Tuesday when it goes on the road to face San Diego State, which is trying to rebound from a disappointing loss.
The Rams (10-6, 4-1 MWC) are currently sitting in third place in the conference, behind No. 22 Utah State (16-1, 6-0) and New Mexico (14-3, 6-0 MWC).
Colorado State’s only conference loss was to the Lobos, who went into Moby Arena and won, 76-68, on Dec. 28. The Rams have won three straight since then, including a 91-64 victory over Fresno State.
The Rams are led by fifth-year senior Nique Clifford, who is the team’s only regular starter back from last season. He’s making a case to be a dark horse candidate for Mountain West Player of the Year, averaging 16.9 points a game, which ranks No. 4 in the conference, and 9.9 rebounds, which ranks No. 2 in the league. He also leads the Rams with 59 assists.
San Diego State (10-4, 3-2 MWC) is coming off a 62-48 loss at New Mexico on Saturday. It was the fewest points the Aztecs have put up all season, and the Lobos didn’t just dominate on the scoreboard. They also dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Aztecs, 51-35, and out-scoring them 32-20 in the paint.
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Colorado State at San Diego State Betting Odds
San Diego State is a 6.5-point college basketball odds favorite against Colorado State, and the Over/Under is 132.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -300 for the Aztecs and at +240 for Colorado State.
Colorado State at San Diego State on TV
The Mountain West game featuring Colorado State and San Diego State will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tipoff is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET.
Colorado State at San Diego State Prediction
I predict San Diego State wins 78-70.
The Aztecs don’t have a dominant big man this year, which opens the door for Clifford to have a big night. The problem is he just doesn’t have much help. Colorado State’s second-leading scorer is senior guard Jalen Lake, who is averaging 12.8 points a night as a starter after coming off the bench last season. He’s the only other player on the team scoring more than 10 points a game.
San Diego State’s offense hasn’t exactly been scorching the opposition this year, but the Aztecs do have a pair of veteran guards that are averaging double-digit points. Miles Byrd leads the way with 13.4 points a game, while Nick Boyd is putting up 12.7. Sophomore guard BJ Davis is scoring 9.8 points a night.
What the Aztecs are lacking on offense, they’re more than making up for on defense. They’re giving up 61.9 points a night, which ranks No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 2 in the country. They’re also holding opponents to a .355 field goal percentage, which is the lowest in the conference.
San Diego State and Wyoming are the only teams that have held New Mexico to fewer than 70 points this season.
The Aztecs will also have a major home-court advantage on Saturday. San Diego State is 5-2 at Viejas Arena this season. Their only home losses were to a pair of ranked teams: Utah State and No. 16 Gonzaga. The Aztecs went 14-1 at home last season.
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