College Basketball Odds, Pick, Prediction: San Diego State vs. Utah State (Wednesday, January 26)
Stacy Revere/Getty Images. Pictured: Justin Bean.
- San Diego State is favored on the road tonight against Utah State.
- After being held to just 37 points, the Aztecs bounced back with a convincing win over UNLV on Monday night.
- Keg taps into this matchup and delivers his pick for bettors below.
San Diego State vs. Utah State Odds
| San Diego State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -105 | 129.5 -110o / -110u | -115 |
| Utah State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -115 | 129.5 -110o / -110u | -105 |
The San Diego State Aztecs will travel to take on the Utah State Aggies on Wednesday night.
The Aztecs are 3-1 in conference play, while Utah State is ninth in the Mountain West at just 1-5. These two squared off three times last season, with Utah state winning both regular-season matchups and San Diego State coming out on top when it mattered most in the conference title game.
The Aztecs have been hot recently, winning six of their last seven games, with the one loss coming against Mountain West-leading Boise State in a 42-37 defeat. That's not a typo. The Aztecs scored just 37 points against Boise State.
San Diego State bounced back quickly by throttling the UNLV Rebels 80-55 on Monday night, as Matt Bradley led the way with 27 points, six rebounds and four assists.
The Aztecs have resume-building wins over Colorado State and Saint Mary's, while losses have come against stronger competition like Michigan and USC. Per KenPom, they've played the 59th-toughest schedule in the country, which makes their 11-4 record all the more impressive.
Utah State, however, has faced an even tougher road, with the 41st-ranked schedule. The Aggies have strong wins over Oklahoma and Richmond.
Utah State has struggled of late, though, and will look to end their four-game losing streak here. All of those losses have been in conference play, with three of them against teams toward the top of the Mountain West.
While the Aggies have managed to win three of their last four meetings against the Aztecs, SDSU still leads the all-time series 14- 8. Utah State is also just 4-4 at home against the Aztecs.
San Diego State Aztecs
This San Diego State team isn't quite one dimensional, but it sure is lopsided.
The Aztecs have a top-five defense in the country, currently ranked second in adjusted defensive efficiency while limiting teams to just 56.3 points per game, which is also second in the nation. San Diego State is allowing opponents to shoot a staggering 36.5% from the field.
Offensively, it's not so good. The Aztecs rank in the bottom 100 in effective field goal shooting, 2-point shooting, free throws and shooting efficiency, which explains why they're averaging just 64.7 points per game. Bradley is the only San Diego State player scoring double-digit points per game at 15.9.
Utah State Aggies
The Aggies might not be a defensive powerhouse like the Aztecs, but they are a much more balanced team.
Utah State ranks 86th nationally with 74 points per game while allowing 69.4 points per contest. The Aggies also rank as one of the best 2-point shooting teams in the country hitting at 55.5%.
On defense, the Aggies are posting the 80th-ranked adjusted efficiency rating. They force a solid amount of turnovers and play at an average Mountain West tempo.
Utah State leads the Mountain West in turnover margin during conference play at +2.7. Against San Diego State, the Aggies limiting their own turnovers will be more important than creating them defensively.
Justin Bean has been a driving force for Utah State and is one of the best players in the conference. Bean is the only player in the Mountain West who's averaging a double-double, and he leads the league with 10 rebounds per game and a 57.7 field goal percentage. Bean has also scored in double figures in each of the last eight games and ranks fifth in the nation with 12 double-doubles this season.
San Diego State vs. Utah State Betting Pick
Turnovers are sure to be a deciding factor in this game, with San Diego State ranking first in the league in steals and the Aggies not far behind.
After their season was brought to an end last year by San Diego State, I expect the Aggies to have more than enough motivation. To add to that, Utah State is desperate to stop its four-game losing streak.
That's something I think the Aggies will be able to do here at home against a strong opponent in San Diego State. Utah State is a much more balanced team and while the Aztecs defense may be able to cause headaches, I don't think it will be enough.
The Aggies are a much more talented team than their record shows, and I think they prove that Wednesday night.
Back Utah State as a home ‘dog.
Pick: Utah +2.5 (play to +2)
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