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With the action at a feverish rate in this conference residing west of the Rocky Mountains, the Mountain West Conference Tournament will be decided in Las Vegas with the NCAA Tournament only a week away! Join us for our college basketball odds series where our Mountain West Tournament prediction and pick will be unveiled.
One of the more underrated conferences in the world of college basketball, the Mountain West has slowly but surely made name for themselves thanks to their competitive play on the court. After last season saw Boise State take home the conference title hardware, which team is next up to punch their ticket to an NCAA Tournament bid?
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
Mountain West Tournament Odds: 2023 Winner Odds
San Diego State: +165
Utah State: +380
Boise State: +400
Nevada: +600
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Why San Diego State Could Win The Mountain West
On paper, the Aztecs are clearly the best bet to win the Mountain West Tournament this week after they finished first in the conference during the regular season. The most important aspect of the game that SDSU likes to control is their ability to play swarming defense that often suffocates their opposition to a great degree. Obviously, this is where the Aztecs thrive, as their ferocious defensive tenacity has been their calling card for many years now.
While a solid defensive effort is a given for the Aztecs, an outstanding offensive showing will leave this team near unbeatable. Certainly, the Aztecs are no slouches shooting the basketball. In fact, not many players in this conference tournament have as much skill and experience as point guard Matt Bradley. The senior guard from San Bernardino, Bradley is the unquestioned leader on this squad, so keep your eyes on this stud to make some big shots down the stretch en route to a title.
Why Boise State Could Win the Mountain West
Not only are the Broncos anxious to repeat their unprecedented and historic run from last year's conference tournament, but there is quite a realistic chance that Boise State has the pieces on its roster to pull it off yet again. First things first, last season's team was defensive juggernauts that barely allowed their opponents to score. Fast forward exactly one year later, and the Broncos' path to success remains virtuality unchanged. At first glance, the Broncos boast the top-scoring defense in the conference and have made themselves known for getting stops.
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Similarly to San Diego State, Boise State will need to show some sort of heartbeat offensively if they want to make a deep run. Since the Broncos are the third-best rebounding team in the Mountain West, grabbing offensive rebounds and giving themselves extra opportunities on the boards off of misses will prove to be critical for this squad's title defense.
Why Utah State Could Win The Mountain West
Next up on this list, the Utah State Aggies and their postseason tournament chances are truly hanging in the balance. Alas, Utah State is right on the fringe of possibly hearing their name called come to Selection Sunday time, as the Aggies desperately need to reel of some wins this week. Of course, winning the whole enchilada would take care of that problem, as Utah State will be attempting to reach the big dance for the 23rd time in school history.
Above all else, even if the Aggies struggle early on in the week, expect Utah State to come out firing offensively. Unlike other teams who might struggle on offense within the conference, the Aggies are the second-highest scoring team in the league and also boast the top three-point shooting percentage in all of the Mountain West. Even more impressively, they also dish out 16.9 assists per game and rarely turn the ball over. Because of these elements, keep your eyes peeled on guard Steven Ashworth to put the cherry on top with his team-leading 16.3 PPG.
Why Nevada Could Win the Mountain West
After finishing the regular season with an extremely productive 22 wins on the season which includes a 12-6 record in conference play. Like Utah State, Nevada has a decent shot at capturing a March Madness berth, but they cannot afford a round-opening loss to the San Jose Spartans.
Alas, the key ingredient for success for this Wolf Pack bunch will be to attack their foes with Oregon State transfer guard Jarod Lucas. Believe it or not, but few players in this tournament can fill up the stat sheet offensively and especially from beyond the arc like Lucas, as he is dropping in 16.9 points per game and shooting lights out with a solid 38% from deep. Statistically, Nevada isn't a fundamentally sound offensive team, so their defense will have to keep them in it by staying out of foul trouble and forcing stops consistently.
Final Mountain West Tournament Prediction & Pick
While all of these teams could have a chance to take home bragging rights in the Mountain West, it is a safe bet to side with the San Diego State Aztecs and their large sample size of getting the job done throughout the season to help them prevail this week in the heart of Las Vegas.
Final Mountain West Tournament Prediction & Pick: San Diego State +165
