Fresno State vs. Utah State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Mountain West Quarterfinals (Back the Aggies)
Utah State is up to No. 18 in the AP Top-25 poll and is doing what every team in the nation sets out to do: play its best ball when the all-important month of March rolls around. The Aggies finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak and will try to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding with a Mountain West tournament run.
Fresno State did the opposite, losing seven consecutive contests to end the regular season before bouncing back with a four-point win over Wyoming to open the conference tournament. Can they hang within the big number on Thursday afternoon? Here’s the betting breakdown of the matchup with a best bet.
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Fresno State vs. Utah State Odds, Spread and Total
Fresno State vs. Utah State Betting Trends
- Fresno State is 14-17 ATS this season
- Utah State is 14-13-2 ATS this season
- Fresno State is 9-12 ATS as an underdog this season
- Utah State is 13-9-2 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 18-13 in Fresno State games this season
- The OVER is 17-12 in Utah State games this season
Fresno State vs. Utah State How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 14
- Game time: 3 p.m. EST
- Venue: Thomas & Mack Center
- How to watch (TV): CBS Sports Network
- Fresno State record: 12-20
- Utah State record: 26-5
Fresno State vs. Utah State Key Players to Watch
Fresno State
Isaiah Pope: The senior guard averages 9.1 points per game this season while shooting just over 40% from the field, but came up big in Fresno State’s first-round win over Wyoming on Wednesday. Pope poured in 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, adding 5 rebounds and a perfect performance at the free-throw line (7-for-7) to help the Bulldogs advance.
Utah State
Great Osobor: One of the Mountain West’s best big men, Osobor is averaging 17.6 points and 9 rebounds per game. He is coming off his 14th double-double of the season after finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds in Utah State’s win over New Mexico on Saturday.
Fresno State vs. Utah State Prediction and Pick
Osobor had a pair of double-doubles in two Utah State victories over Fresno State this season, combining for 41 points and 23 rebounds. He should have plenty of success today picking on a Fresno State defense that is No. 9 in the Mountain West in scoring (73.5 points per game) and allows opponents to shoot 46.2% while getting pummeled in the paint.
Fresno State ranks No. 318 in effective field goal percentage and is one of the worst defenses in the country defending 3-point attempts (No. 347). They are better down low (No. 240 against 2-point shots), but should run into trouble against the No. 1 two-point shooting team in the Mountain West. The Aggies rank No. 11 in the nation in shooting from inside the arc and are No. 33 overall in effective field goal percentage.
Utah State should push the pace, which is bad news for a Fresno State offense that turns it over 12.3 times per game, the second most in the conference. Fresno State is just 1-4 ATS against ranked opponents this season and its seven-game losing streak to end the regular season hasn’t been thrown out because of a first-round win over a bad Wyoming club. Lay the big number with Utah State to pull away and advance to the semifinals.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.