A showdown in the heart of Phoenix will be underway only a mere hours from now as the 25th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs head into GCU Arena to do battle with the Grand Canyon Antelopes. It is time to check out our college basketball odds series where our San Diego State-Grand Canyon prediction and pick will be made.

Heading into this one, the Aztecs have won six games in a row since dropping a road contest three weeks ago to the BYU Cougars. Thus far, SDSU has showcased that they are one of the Mountain West's top teams to beat as they will look to improve to 8-1 on the young season against a pesky Grand Canyon squad.

Meanwhile, GCU is also off to an encouraging start to the 2023-2024 regular season and have already racked off a pair of conference wins in an attempt to live up to preseason expectations that predicted them to be favorites to win the WAC for a second-consecutive year. As of late, the Antelopes have won three straight games and are certainly trending in the right direction under head coach Bryce Drew.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: San Diego Sate-Grand Canyon Odds

San Diego State: -1.5 (-115)

Grand Canyon: +1.5 (-105)

Over: 142.5 (-112)

Under: 142.5 (-108)

How to Watch San Diego State vs. Grand Canyon

Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT

TV: ESPNU

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial), ESPN+

Why San Diego State Will Cover The Spread

In order to hand Grand Canyon their first home loss of the season and cover the slim spread as it stands, San Diego State no doubt will need to make it a priority to take the home crowd off it early with a strong start to this one. In their latest contest coming against UC San Diego which resulted in a narrow Aztecs victory, SDSU trailed a majority of the first half and had to make some critical plays late to overcome a sluggish start. Don't be alarmed, but Grand Canyon owns one of the more underrated home-court advantages in the nation, and if San Diego State comes out flat and is not ready for play, it could end up costing them.

Above all else, it is difficult to argue that this team doesn't possess a knack for winning close contests, as they've already garnered overtime victories versus Washington and Cal. With another close outing expected against the Lopes, remaining aggressive on the offensive end of the floor and receiving some trips to the free-throw line could end up being beneficial. Most recently, the Aztecs only earned four free-throw attempts in their latest win which isn't necessarily a recipe for sustained success. Especially for a slower-paced team on the offensive side of the floor, taking what the defense gives you and forcing GCU into some foul trouble will surely pay dividends for the Aztecs. Not to mention, be on the lookout for senior forward Jaedon LeeDee who currently is averaging 22.6 points per game which is the sixth-most in all of America.

Why Grand Canyon Will Cover The Spread

Although known for its large online presence, Grand Canyon University also boasts quite the respectable basketball program. Under the tutelage of head-man Bryce Drew who is in his fourth season with the team. Since taking over in 2020, Drew has led his troops to the NCAA Tournament on two separate occasions and returns a rock-solid roster this year to once again make another push at the big dance.

On paper, it appears that the Lopes have yet to hit their full stride on the season, but there is surely a plethora of talent on this team. For starters, a big reason why GCU is averaging a whopping 80.3 points per game is in large part due to transfer guard Tyon Grant-Foster. Indeed, the former Kansas Jayhawk and DePaul Blue Demon only scratched the surface over previous years, and a terrifying medical scare that kept him out the majority of the past two seasons, Grant-Foster is now one of the brightest stars that GCU has to offer. With a team-leading 22.3 points per game, the dynamic pairing of him and WAC Preseason Player of the Year Ray Harrison is a treat to watch for all college basketball fans alike.

The most glaring statistic that favors Grand Canyon unlike San Diego State is that the Antelopes go to the free-throw line at the third-highest rate in the entire country. Despite shooting a lackluster 37% in the narrow win against UT Arlington, the Lopes went to the charity stripe a whopping 36 times which ultimately was the deciding factor. If GCU gets the benefit of the whistle as the home team in this one, then the Lopes could be on track to pull off the big-time upset.

Final San Diego State-Grand Canyon Prediction & Pick

In what should expected as an entertaining back-and-forth contest, this could certainly come down to the wire. However, combining a rowdy home-court advantage to go along with some serious talent on both ends of the floor, betting on the Antelopes may be well worth it.

Final San Diego State-Grand Canyon Prediction & Pick: Grand Canyon +1.5 (-105)