Two teams that are very much in contention for the Mountain West Conference championship meet when Colorado State visits Utah State on Tuesday in Logan.
Entering Tuesday, New Mexico led the Mountain West with a 12-1 mark. Right behind were Utah State (21-3, 11-2) and Colorado State (15-8, 9-3).
Utah State has won two in a row since an 82-63 home loss to New Mexico. The Aggies are coming off Friday’s 89-81 win at San Jose State. Fifth-year guard Ian Martinez led Utah State’s win with 30 points. Utah State shot 37 for 60 from the field (.617). That offset a rough night at the foul line, (10 for 20).
Colorado State bounced back from an 87-65 home loss at New Mexico to earn a home 68-63 win over San Diego State on Saturday. Nique Clifford, a 6-foot-6 fifth-year guard, had 21 points, 13 rebounds, and three steals.
Colorado State and Utah State will meet again on March 1 in Fort Collins.
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Colorado State at Utah State Odds
Utah State is a 5.5-point college basketball odds favorite on BetMGM with the Over/Under at 147.5 points.
The moneyline for Utah State is -250 while it is +200 for CSU.
Colorado State at Utah State on TV
The game between Colorado State and Utah State will be televised by FS1.
Tipoff is shortly after 11 p.m. ET.
Colorado State at Utah State Prediction
I like Colorado State getting the points.
According to teamrankings.com, Utah State has failed to cover in its last four games and was a favorite in all four while CSU has covered in two of its last three games.
Utah State is 11-2 at home, with the losses to UC San Diego and UNLV by a total of five points. Colorado State is 4-3 on the road.
The reason for going with Colorado State is at the free throw line.
The Rams shoot .782 from the foul line, which leads the Mountain West and is 13th nationally. That is a major advantage over Utah State, which shoots just .695.
Statistically, these two teams are close on defense. Utah State allows 68.8 points per game. Colorado State surrenders 68.4 PPG. Utah State is the higher-scoring team (81.4 PPG) while CSU averages 73.5.
Utah State shoots .355 from three-point range with CSU at .324. The Aggies’ three-point defensive percentage is .328, and Colorado State’s is .349. Utah State has a strong edge in turnover margin (+3.50). Colorado State is -0.53.
Clifford leads Colorado State in both scoring (17.4 PPG) and rebounding (9.8). He is fifth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (8.3). Clifford is also sixth in the MWC in assists, averaging 4.1 per game. The only other double-figure scorer is 6-foot-4 senior Jalen Lake (12.3 PPG).
