San Diego State hosts UNLV tonight in a regular-season finale that carries a lot of weight.
The Aztecs have one last chance to clinch a share of the Mountain West regular-season championship, but they need some help. UNLV’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn has one final chance to convince voters that he deserves the Mountain West Player of the Year Award.
San Diego State (19-10, 13-6 MWC) and New Mexico (22-8, 13-6) are tied for second place in the conference. They’re both one game behind Utah State (24-6, 14-5), but the Aggies, Aztecs, and Lobos will share the regular-season title if San Diego State beats UNLV tonight and New Mexico goes on the road and beats Utah State tomorrow.
Utah State has already clinched a share of the regular-season title. If it wins tomorrow, the Aggies will ride off into the sunset with their second outright Mountain West title in its final season in the league. The Aggies – one of five teams leaving the conference to join the new Pac-12 later this year – won their first outright title in 2023-24.
San Diego State is also set to join Utah State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, Washington State, Texas State, and Gonzaga in the Pac-12. The Aztecs have won nine regular-season titles and seven tournament championships since joining the Mountain West in 1999.
San Diego State is coming off back-to-back losses. The Aztecs fell 81-76 at New Mexico on Feb. 28 and 86-77 at Boise State on Tuesday. They haven’t lost three straight regular-season games since January 2018.
Leading scorer Reese Dixon-Waters led the way with 23 points against Boise State. It was the fifth time this season that he scored at least 20 points in a game, but he was the Aztecs’ only starter who scored in double digits.
UNLV (16-14, 11-8 MWC) is coming off back-to-back wins. The Rebels beat in-state rival Nevada 85-83 in overtime on Feb. 28, and they upset Utah State 92-65 on Tuesday.
High Point transfer Kimani Hamilton was 10-of-14 from the floor and led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds against the Aggies. Six-foot-5 guard Howie Fleming Jr. added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Gibbs-Lawhorn finished with 10 points.
Gibbs-Lawhorn leads the Mountain West with 20.6 points a game. He has scored at least 20 points in 11 of the Rebels’ past 13 games, including a season-high 42 against Nevada, 30 against Grand Canyon, and 31 against Boise State. He also put up 31 points against Colorado State and 33 in the Rebels’ first game against Boise State.
He could have locked up the player of the year award with another of his high-powered scoring games against Utah State. Instead, he’ll have to light up the scoreboard against one of the Mountain West’s top defenses to clinch the award. San Diego State is giving up 71 points a game, which ranks No. 4 in the conference.
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UNLV at San Diego State Odds
San Diego State is a 10.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is at 153.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -550 for the Aztecs and +400 for UNLV.
San Diego State leads the all-time series 45-40, including an 82-71 win at UNLV in January. The Aztecs are 18-8 against the Rebels at Viejas Arena.
San Diego State is 13-2 at home this season.
UNLV at San Diego State On TV
The Mountain West game featuring UNLV and San Diego State will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
UNLV at San Diego State Prediction
I predict San Diego State wins 76-70, but I don’t think the Aztecs will cover the spread.
UNLV is one of the most dangerous teams in the Mountain West. Gibbs-Lawhorn is the most talented scorer in the league, 6-foot-9 forward Tyrin Jones is one of the top freshmen in the conference, and the Rebels’ lineup is full of experienced players like Hamilton.
The Aztecs are going to need a big game from their veteran-laden backcourt, which includes Dixon-Waters, BJ Davis, and player of the year candidate Miles Byrd. But what they really need is for 7-foot sophomore Magoon Gwath to take over. If he shows the form that earned him Mountain West Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year honors last season, the Aztecs will run away with a huge win. If not, the Aztecs’ guards will have to win a shootout against Gibbs-Lawhorn.
