Two of the best players in the Mountain West take the court tonight at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when Colorado State hits the road to face the conference’s top team.
Point guard Donovan Dent has New Mexico (18-4, 10-1 MWC) sitting at No. 1 in the Mountain West, just ahead of Utah State (20-3, 10-2) and Colorado State (14-7, 8-2).
Dent started 35 games last season during the Lobos’ run to the Mountain West Tournament title, but he was playing in the shadow of more experienced guards Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. This season, he’s running the show for the conference’s best offense, which is averaging 83.4 points a game.
Dent leads the Mountain West with 19.4 points a night, and he’s No. 2 in the conference with 145 assists. The 6-foot-2 junior has scored at least 10 points in every game this season. He scored more than 20 points nine times, including a season-high 40 against VCU and 34 against UNLV.
He looks like the favorite to win Mountain West Player of the Year, but Colorado State has a candidate of its own.
Nique Clifford, a 6-foot-6 fifth-year senior, who began his career at Colorado, started all 36 games for the Rams last season, helping them earn their second at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in three years. This season, he’s taken his game to another level.
Clifford’s 17.7 points a night are tied with Boise State’s Tyson Degenhart for No. 3 in the Mountain West. Clifford ranks No. 2 in the conference with 9.6 rebounds a game, and he leads Colorado State with 87 assists.
He has scored at least 20 points in six of the Rams’ past eight games, and he posted a season-high 31 against Tennessee State last November. Clifford also has nine double-doubles on his resume this season, including 22 points and 11 rebounds in Colorado State’s win over Air Force on Jan. 28.
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Colorado State at New Mexico Odds
New Mexico is an 8.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM, and the Over/Under is at 148.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -400 for New Mexico and at +310 for Colorado State.
Colorado State at New Mexico on TV
The Mountain West game featuring Colorado State and New Mexico will be televised on FS1.
Tonight’s tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 ET.
Colorado State at New Mexico Prediction
I predict New Mexico will win, 77-67.
Dent and Clifford are both going to get theirs. The question is which supporting cast will step up and help clinch a big Mountain West win?
Dent has had a lot more help this season, especially when it comes to rebounding. New Mexico’s Nelly Joseph is the only player in the conference averaging a double-double. He leads the league with 10.5 boards a night, and he’s averaging 13.5 points a game. He also ranks No. 2 in the conference with 33 blocked shots.
Mustapha Amzil is adding 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds a game in his first season as a full-time starter for the Lobos.
New Mexico leads the Mountain West and is tied with Michigan State for No. 11 in the country with 40.7 rebounds a game. The Rams will have to find a way to compete in the paint if they’re going to upset the Lobos.
