The Colorado State Rams take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Check out our Mountain West championship odds series for our Colorado State Nevada prediction and pick. Find how to watch Colorado State Nevada.
The Colorado State Rams will make the NCAA Tournament. They will get in partly because of what they did in nonconference play back in November and December. CSU racked up some big wins before the calendar year turned to 2024, most notably a blowout of the Creighton Bluejays. However, in Mountain West play, the Rams were roughed up — not to the extent that they will miss the NCAA Tournament, but certainly to the extent that their NCAA seed fell a few slots. Colorado State was unable to finish in the top four of the conference. Accordingly, it had to play an opening-round Mountain West Tournament game against San Jose State. The game was very close through the first 35 minutes before Colorado State managed to pull away late.
CSU point guard Isaiah Stevens is the kind of player who can take over a game, but he will need some help from his teammates in order to make the Rams a more complete team.
Nevada has been a better and more complete team than Colorado State. Nevada swept the two-game season series from CSU, winning on the road in Fort Collins on a late shot from Jerod Lucas. Nevada has played really well over the past three weeks, moving from a bubble position to safely into the NCAA Tournament and possibly with a seed which will give the Wolf Pack home whites in the first round (No. 8 or higher as the higher seed in a first-round game). Nevada was able to get a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament, so the Wolf Pack will be rested, whereas Colorado State had to play San Jose State on Wednesday.
Here are the Colorado State-Nevada Mountain West Championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Mountain West Championsip Odds: Colorado State-Nevada Odds
Colorado State Rams: +1.5 (-102)
Nevada Wolf Pack: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 138.5 (-110)
Under: 138.5 (-110)
How To Watch Colorado State vs Nevada
Time: 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Colorado State Could Cover the Spread
The Rams are trying to beat Nevada for the first time in three tries this season. It is really, really hard for one team to beat another team three times if the talent level is appreciably similar. Colorado State will naturally be more motivated in this game since the Rams have a point to prove, all while Nevada is comfortably in the NCAA Tournament and does not have an alarmingly deep need to win this game. The intangibles go with CSU at tournament time, even though Nevada has played better of late.
Why Nevada Could Cover the Spread
The Colorado State Rams are good, but they have not been an elite team within the Mountain West Conference. The league pushed the Rams around, and Nevada was one of the teams which did a lot of the pushing. Nevada has a better five-man roster than CSU, which outweighs Colorado State having Isaiah Stevens, likely the best player on either team. Nevada is in a groove and should keep rolling.
Final Colorado State-Nevada Prediction & Pick
This is a very tough game to evaluate. The game in Fort Collins was decided on a buzzer-beater. This game figures to go down to the wire as well. Stay away and wait for a live play.
Final Colorado State-Nevada Prediction & Pick: Nevada -1.5