Utah State has a chance to match one of its best starts to a season in program history Saturday at Grand Canyon, and the Aggies’ sights are on their second regular-season Mountain West title in three years. They last won it in 2024.
The Aggies (15-1, 6-0 MWC) have won 16 of their first 17 games in each of the past two seasons, and they have a chance to match that with a win at Global Credit Union Arena on Saturday. The program record is 24-1 in 2008-09, followed by 20-1 in 2003-04. The 2023-24 and 2024-25 teams that went 16-1 are tied for No. 3.
Utah State heads into its first-ever regular-season meeting with Grand Canyon on an eight-game winning streak. The last time the Aggies lost was a 74-61 setback at South Florida in December.
The Aggies lead the Mountain West with 86 points a game, and they’re led by the conference’s top scorer, Vanderbilt transfer MJ Collins, who is averaging 20.1 points per game. Three-year starter Mason Falslev ranks No. 6 in the conference with 16.2 points a game, and 6-foot-9 fifth-year senior Garry Clark is putting up 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds a game.
Utah State also has one of the Mountain West’s top defenses. The Aggies are giving up 66.7 points a game, which ranks No. 2 in the league. New Mexico is giving up the fewest points in the conference at 66.2.
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Grand Canyon (10-6, 3-2 MWC) finds itself in the top half of the standings in its first season in the Mountain West. The Antelopes joined the league a year earlier than expected. They’re currently sitting in fifth place, but they’re within striking distance of the conference’s top two teams: Utah State and San Diego State (12-4, 6-0), which Grand Canyon hosts on Jan. 21.
The Antelopes have won two of their past three conference games, but they’re coming off a lopsided 87-64 loss at New Mexico on Tuesday. The Lobos had their way near the basket, outscoring the Antelopes 30-20 in the paint and outrebounding them 39-29.
Grand Canyon is led by UNLV transfer Jaden Henley, who ranks No. 5 in the Mountain West with 17.2 points a game. Six-foot-8 graduate student Nane Owusu-Anane is almost averaging a double-double, with 9.3 points and 8.8 rebounds a game.
Utah State vs. Grand Canyon Betting Line
Utah State is a 5.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 148.5 points. The moneyline is a -235 for Utah State and +190 for Grand Canyon.
Utah State vs. Grand Canyon On TV
The Mountain West game featuring Utah State and Grand Canyon will be televised on FS1.
Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET.
Utah State vs. Grand Canyon Prediction
I predict Utah State wins 90-75.
The Aggies have the championship formula this year. They have a talented scorer in Collins, a Swiss Army knife of a leader in Falslev, and a big man in Clark who can compete with just about anyone in the Mountain West.
The Aggies don’t turn the ball over often. They lead the conference with a plus-3.81 turnover margin, and they’re the best shooting team in the league. But their willingness to share the ball may be what sets them apart from the rest of the conference. Utah State has three players with more than 40 assists: Falslev (44), freshman point guard Elijah Perryman (62), and 6-5 graduate student Drake Allen, who leads the team with 79.
