Tag: Mountain West Conference

Lobos host Air Force with eyes on staying in second place

New Mexico vs. Air Force: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Lobos trying to keep share of 2nd place in the MW Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire New Mexico will look to tame the Falcons after Air Force’s big win earlier this …

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

New Mexico vs. Air Force: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Lobos trying to keep share of 2nd place in the MW

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

New Mexico will look to tame the Falcons after Air Force’s big win earlier this week

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Air Force (8-8, 2-2 MWC) at New Mexico (14-3, 3-1 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, January 11 — 4:00 P.M. MT / 3:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: DreamStyle Arena, Albuquerque, New Mexico

WATCH: Stadium/Facebook

LISTEN: 96.3 KKOB; Listen Live

ALL-TIME: New Mexico leads the series, 60-23

ODDS: New Mexico -9, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

New Mexico will look to keep at least a share of second place in the Mountain West, as the Falcons of Air Force descend upon The Pit on Saturday.

The Lobos are 3-1 in league play so far, trailing only undefeated San Diego State and currently tied with Nevada and UNLV in the standings. Aside from the Aztecs, Paul Weir’s crew has the best overall record in the MW at 14-3, with their loss to San Jose State last week serving as the only defeat since their November 25 tilt with unbeaten Auburn.

New Mexico was back to their winning ways earlier this week, dispatching Fresno State with ease, 78-64. JaQuan Lyle has continued to look like a clear All-Mountain West talent, registering a double-double with 14 points and ten assists.

Even more encouraging for the Lobos is the recent explosion of Vance Jackson. He scored 29 points against the Bulldogs after posting 25 in the loss to the Spartans. Jackson has finished in double figures in five straight games after completing the feat just twice in the team’s first 11 contests.

Adding that extra scoring punch has come at a perfect time as Carlton Bragg makes his way back into the offense. The senior forward was averaging a double-double on the season before his suspension last month. After missing three games, Bragg returned against Fresno State but was ineffective, scoring just two points in 22 minutes on the floor.

But if Weir can get all of his pieces working at the same time, the Lobos may have an outside shot at sneaking into the Big Dance.

Air Force, meanwhile, has finally risen back to .500 after wiping the floor with Utah State on Tuesday. On the back of its stout offense, this Falcons team has started to turn things around after a disappointing 2-5 start to the year. Until the game against the Aggies, though, it wasn’t clear whether this team should be considered much of a threat in the Mountain West.

But Dave Pilipovich and the Falcons made their point.

Ryan Swan had a night to remember against Utah State, scoring a season-high 31 points and adding 11 rebounds. He has overtaken fellow senior Lavelle Scottie as the Falcons’ leading scorer on the season, with sophomore guard AJ Walker not far behind. The trio averages a combined 40 points per night, and both Swan and Walker are shooting over 50% on the year.

As a team, the Falcons have shot at one of the best clips in the country, posting an effective field goal percentage that ranks among the nation’s five best. That number is especially impressive when Scottie’s shooting woes are taken into account. The 6’7” senior was one of the league’s best shooters a year ago, but has struggled to the tune of 47% on two-pointers and 44% overall from the floor.

If he can get hot – and stay that way – Air Force could be a dangerous matchup for just about anyone in the Mountain West.

They’ll test that theory against the Lobos on Saturday.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Top-half teams clash as Nevada hosts Boise State

Nevada vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Wolf Pack looking to stay undefeated in MW play Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire High-powered offenses come head-to-head in the Biggest Little City in the World GAME …

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Nevada vs. Boise State: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Wolf Pack looking to stay undefeated in MW play

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

High-powered offenses come head-to-head in the Biggest Little City in the World

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Boise State (10-5, 2-1 MWC) at Nevada (9-5, 2-0 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, January 4 — 4:00 P.M. MT / 3:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV

WATCH: CBS Sports Network

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Nevada leads the series, 47-27

ODDS: Nevada -4, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

Two of the top teams in the Mountain West come together on Saturday when Nevada hosts Boise State as the second week of league play continues.

The Wolf Pack are one of three teams that remain undefeated in MWC play, along with San Diego State and UNLV. Steve Alford is off to a good start in Reno, and the team is coming off a win over Colorado State on Wednesday.

The victory moved the Pack to 2-0 in league play, but Saturday presents their toughest conference test to date.

Nevada doesn’t have a great shot at getting an NCAA Tournament bid, but if they turn in a top-3 performance in the Mountain West, those odds will improve. Boise State will also be competing for that spot.

The Broncos have been on a tear of late, as well, winning their past four games. Their most recent victory came on Wednesday when they beat Wyoming.

But Boise State will have to shake their travel woes in order to keep from falling to 2-2 in league play. The Broncos are just 1-3 in true road games this season, with their only win coming against Pacific after three overtimes.

Nevada, meanwhile, hasn’t lost in its past 13 Mountain West home games. That has to bode well.

GAME PLAN

On THE WOLF PACK’S POSSESSIONS…

As always, Alford will lean on his high-scoring guard trio of Jalen Harris, Jazz Johnson, and Lindsey Drew. Nisre Zouzoua’s offensive play has also earned him a very long look. This team likes to launch threes and they have been well-rewarded for their boldness, hitting nearly 38% of their shots from downtown. They won’t try to go to the rim too much with their bigs, but Harris is particularly skilled at scoring inside.

Nevada is very careful with the ball and Boise State doesn’t force many turnovers, so don’t expect the Wolf Pack to cough up possessions. But offensive rebounding continues to be a problem for the team. The team’s reliance on three-pointers leads to fewer free throws than the average team shoots, and the Broncos are a disciplined team in terms of fouling.

If Nevada wins the offensive battle, it will be because they are hitting from beyond the arc. If they struggle there, they could have serious issues keeping up with the Broncos.

ON THE BRONCOS’ POSSESSIONS…

Derrick Alston has looked great this season, but the game against Wyoming was about as bad as it gets for him. He shot 1-for-10 from the field and scored a season-low four points. That said, this was an aberration. Alston should be able to carry this offense against Nevada’s defense. But even if he can’t, Justinian Jessup and Abu Kigab appear to be up to the task of providing the scoring punch.

Like Nevada, the Broncos like to shoot threes, but they go inside much more often. Unfortunately, they don’t gather up offensive rebounds very well, outside of RJ Williams. They make up for a lack of second chances by making good use of their first chance. Boise State doesn’t turn the ball over very often, ranking among the 25 best schools in the country in this department. And if that wasn’t enough, Nevada is one of the worst in the country at forcing turnovers.

In order to keep up with a high-powered Nevada offense, Boise State needs Alston to get untracked so that they are firing at full bore.

GAME PREDICTION

Nevada 83, Boise State 79

This game has all the makings of an entertaining battle. Two offenses that can score in bunches. Two defenses that won’t fall on their face, but won’t slow things down too much, either. Ultimately, the biggest difference between the two is that Nevada is playing at home.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

Boise State looking for fourth-straight win over struggling Wyoming

Mountain West play resumes as Boise State hosts Wyoming at ExtraMile Arena in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday night.

[jwplayer 9FEfL71c]

Boise State vs. Wyoming: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Broncos, Cowboys trending in different directions

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

This game could solidify both teams’ place in the Mountain West hierarchy

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Boise State (9-5, 1-1 MWC) vs. Wyoming (5-9, 0-2 WCC)

WHEN: Wednesday, January 1 — 6:00 P.M. MT / 5:00 P.M. PT

WHERE: ExtraMile Arena, Boise, ID

WATCH: Mountain West Network on Stadium

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: Boise State leads the series, 15-14

ODDS: Boise State -16, per KenPom

GAME NOTES

Mountain West play resumes for both teams in the New Year as the Broncos look to keep the celebration going into Wednesday night in Boise.

Leon Rice’s team has won three games in a row after losing to Georgia Tech in the opening round of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii last week. After dropping their game to the Yellow Jackets, Boise State responded with strong showings against Portland, UTEP, and Cal State Northridge.

One reason for their recent success is the debut of Abu Kigab, who transferred to Boise State after starting his career at Oregon. The junior was hled out of competition during the fall semester, but Kigab didn’t take long to make a big impact. He scored 33 points against CSUN in the team’s latest game. The outburst was especially encouraging for a team that was in need of a bit of size and scoring punch.

Boise State is in a good groove as conference play gets back underway, but their opponents haven’t had such a leisurely stroll over the past few games.

Wyoming has fallen to 5-9 and will almost assuredly spend the season fighting with San Jose State for 10th place in the Mountain West. The Cowboys have won two straight, although one of those wins came against Nebraska Wesleyan of Division III. Before a December 21 win over Denver, Wyoming had lost six in a row.

Their overtime victory against the Pioneers may have snapped the streak, but the Cowboys still look they are playing at a different level than the rest of their Mountain West peers.

And not in a good way.

This game could help solidify both the Broncos’ place in the top half of the league and Wyoming’s place in the cellar.

GAME PLAN

On THE BRONCOS’ POSSESSIONS…

The Broncos can attack teams in a number of ways, but they are at their best when they are raining threes down on their opponents. They’ve mostly thawed out of a cold spell that plagued that at the start of the season, and Justinian Jessup is always a threat to get hot from outside. Derrick Alston is the team’s primary scorer, though, and is good as anyone in the league at getting points from all over the court.

Boise State – and Jessup, in particular – takes very good care of the ball, and it is one of the reasons that Leon Rice has stuck with Marcus Dickinson in his backcourt, despite the senior’s limitations as a scorer.

In the frontcourt, RJ Williams has delivered an asbolutely fantastic performance on the season. Though he is relatively undersized at 6’7”, the senior has been one of the best rebounders in the country and has turned heads with his never-ending motor on the offensive end.

The Cowboys have certainly been better on the defensive end than they have been on offense, but that is a low bar to clear. Their best trait on defense has been their rebounding, but the Broncos should still be able to grab a few off the glass for some easy put-backs. And with Wyoming forcing turnovers at one of the lowest rates in America, expect Boise State to have plenty of opportunities to score against this pedestrian defense.

ON THE COWBOYS’ POSSESSIONS…

Well, it’s a pretty simple formula for Allen Edwards’ club: give the ball to Hunter Maldonado and let him work. And run out a lot of clock in the meantime. The Cowboys play one of the slowest tempos in the country, clocking in just outside of the bottom 10 nationally in possessions per game.

For his part, Maldonado has had no shortage of opportunities to advertise his offensive skills, racking up usage rates well over 30%. The offense moves – slowly – through the sophomore. Hunter Thompson and Jake Hendricks are the only other Wyoming players to have taken more than 100 shots on the year.

But while this dearth of shots can be mostly explained away by the slow pace and the Maldonado-centric offense, Wyoming has cost themselves a number of opportunities – and they almost never get second chances.

The Cowboys are slightly below average in terms of ball security, but the Broncos aren’t particularly opportunistic, so that won’t be as much of a liability as the team’s abysmal offensive rebounding will be. No team in the country has struggled on the glass more than Wyoming, and they won’t have an easy time against a tenacious Boise State club.

GAME PREDICTION

BOISE STATE 72, WYOMING 60

The Broncos should win this one going away, but if their hot shooters head into an early hibernation, they could find themselves in trouble. Alston, Jessup, and Maldonado could all put up video game numbers in this one, but with the way Wyoming plays, don’t expect the score to climb into the 80s.

Regardless of the final margin, Boise State should be moving to 2-1 in league play, while the Cowboys slip to 0-3.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1361]

2019 SoFi Hawai’i Bowl Preview: Hawai’i vs BYU

2019 SoFi Hawai’i Bowl Preview: Hawai’i vs BYU Who will win in this former WAC matchup? Contact/Follow @MWCwire Look for a lot of points. Who: Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors(9-5) vs BYU Cougars(7-5) When: Tuesday December 24th @ 3:00 pm HST 6:00pm MT …

[jwplayer 18QegcJn-sNi3MVSU]

2019 SoFi Hawai’i Bowl Preview: Hawai’i vs BYU

Who will win in this former WAC matchup?

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Look for a lot of points.

Who: Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors(9-5) vs BYU Cougars(7-5)

When: Tuesday December 24th @ 3:00 pm HST 6:00pm MT

Where: Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI

TV: ESPN

Radio: ESPN Honolulu

Odds: BYU by -2

Series Record: BYU leads overall 13-4, 7-4 in Honolulu. First meeting in bowl game.

Could we see fireworks before New Year’s Eve in the SoFi Hawai’i Bowl?

Sand, surf and sunshine are just a few things the Cougars and fans are looking forward to as they make their trek to Honolulu. But facing the “home team” ‘Bows not so much. Hawai’i fans dislike BYU and makes them a rivalry team yet it has not been much based on the series record. The notion is from the Cougar’s 10 game winning streak blowing out UH back in the 80’s that left Hawai’i coaches, players, and fans circling the date of the next meeting between the two for some payback. On October 29th 1989 the nationally ranked Cougars finally faltered and were routed 56-14 and the following year UH spoiled BYU QB Ty Detmer‘s Heisman winning party with a 59-28 drubbing.

Fast forward to recent times and you might see a similar pattern as BYU has a five game winning streak with the Rainbow Warriors last win a 72-45 romp on the 9th ranked and then undefeated Cougars back in 2001. Hawai’i actually had a bowl eligible record at 9-3 but was left out as mainland bowls who did not want to invite UH for lack of fans traveling. Thus the Hawai’i Bowl was born a year later to give the ‘Bows a chance for an extra game and exposure on national TV.

We may see three QBs in this game that can light up the scoreboard through the air and also extend drives with their legs. BYU’s Zach Wilson is 4-4 this year with two P5 wins over 24th ranked USC and at Tennessee. The true sophomore stats( 2,108 yards, 11 TDs 7 INTs) are limited due to an injury that left him out of October and early November.

Hawai’i redshirt Junior Cole McDonald has had an up and down season notching two PAC 12 wins over Arizona and Oregon State earlier in the season. Even though he racked up 3,642 yards and 29 TDs his turnovers with 14 INTs or fumbles has cost him the full time position as QB1. McDonald seems like he wants to end 2019 on a high note for the seniors and possibly his career at UH with a win over the Cougars.

“I want a bowl ring, I want a 10-win season, I want a new stadium, but I want to experience this last ride with these guys,” explained McDonald. “A lot of these guys I may never see again, let alone play with, I want to enjoy this moment and take it all in with these guys. They’re my best friends for life; I want to have fun and play ball.”

His reliever Chevan Cordeiro has many UH fans excited about the future of the program as they are witnessing a very talented “local boy” quarterback since the Bryant Moniz or even the Timmy Chang days. The redshirt Freshman has been throwing with confidence amassing 907 yards and scrambling for 210 with his signature shootout win against San Jose State. Although he got injured in the Army game and didn’t see time in the MW championship game against Boise State, we may see him if healthy at some point in this game because Hawai’i head coach Nick Rolovich says they both deserve some meaningful game time.

Other notable offensive players:

Hawai’i WR Cedric Byrd(95 rec 1,068 yds 10 TDs)

RB Miles Reed(164 car 891 yds 8 TDs)

WR Jason Matthew Sharsh(80 rec 823 yds 4 TDs

BYU RB Lopini Katoa (74 car 307 yds 3 TDs)

WR Talon Shumway(40 rec 539 yds 4 TDs)

TE Matt Bushman(41 rec 597 yds 4 TDs)

The two defenses we’ll see on the field will probably have a hard time stopping the opposing offenses if both offenses are playing to the potential that they have shown throughout the season. BYU’s offense has been balanced for the most part but I would look to see some deep passes from Wilson early on the game to exploit Hawaii’s secondary. Hawaii’s best corners Rojesterman Ferris and Cortez Davis will need to have big games to eliminate the big plays BYU is capable of making.

The run and shoot offense is no secret now and there is plenty of tape for the Cougar’s defense to look up but it’s always different when it’s game time and in real speed. There should be a lot of adjustments before and during halftime to slow down the Rainbow Warriors. The Cougar’s secondary is talented with FS Austin Lee(55 tackles) and CB Dayan Ghanwoloku(60 tackles). Up front the Cougars only produce 12 sacks but will need to put a ton of pressure on McDonald or Cordeiro and get them out of their game.

Other notable defensive players:

Hawai’i LB Solomon Matautia(75 tackles 2 INTs)

S Khoury Bethley(73 tackles)

BYU LB Kavika Fonua(78 tackles 2INTs)

LB Isaiah Kaufusi(53 tackles 2 INTs)

Prediction

Any Bowl predictions you see online will be suspect and this one is no different. It’s too hard to predict who the coaches will actually play or how much emphasis they have on winning unless you’re playing in a NY6 bowl or the playoffs. Sure no one wants to lose but most coaches try to balance the game plan, having fun, and letting some younger players get more reps for their future development. I’ll expect a slow start by both teams before Hawai’i can get some momentum maybe from a big play through the air and eventually put up big numbers in the second half.

Hawai’i 38 BYU 28

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=645997210]

San Diego State at Hawaii odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s San Diego State at Hawaii college football matchup with college football odds, bets, and picks.

[jwplayer 64hUO9C8]

The San Diego State Aztecs (8-2, 5-2) meet the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (7-4, 4-3) Saturday night in a Mountain West Conference game. Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. ET at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

We analyze the San Diego State-Hawaii odds and betting lines while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

San Diego State at Hawaii: Three things you need to know

1. Hawaii relies a lot on its QB, Cole McDonald. The dual-threat junior can run (396 yards) and throw (3,007). He does take a few too many shots in the open field and down the field which has led to 12 interceptions and 25 touchdowns — a pick for every two TDs thrown. Last season he had 3.6 touchdowns for every interception.

2. San Diego State has one of the stingiest defenses in the nation that few know about. The Aztecs yield just 270.1 yards per game (eighth in the nation) and their eye-popping 65.8 yards yielded per contest on the ground is second in the FBS. SDSU’s 13.7 points allowed per game is also eighth in the nation but the Aztecs’ 20.4 points scored per game is 113th in the nation.

3. Hawaii must start quickly and force San Diego State’s offense into mistakes. If the Aztecs get a few stops early, their defense can feed off of that momentum and make this a low-scoring match.

BetMGM is offering a NEW Customer Offer in New Jersey:
Risk-free bet up to $500 (paid in free bets)! Place your bets at BetMGM.

San Jose State at Hawaii: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:40 AM ET.

Prediction

Hawaii 24, San Diego State 20

Moneyline (ML)

Hawaii is a -143 favorite playing at home. The Rainbow Warriors enjoy a solid home-field advantage but San Diego State is an astonishing 5-0 on the road.

San Diego State has an efficient offense but is nowhere near as dangerous with the ball as is Hawaii. Again, it is the Aztecs defense that will be key in determining how this game will go. The visitors should hold Hawaii down enough to keep this game interesting.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to win straight up returns a profit of $6.99.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Oddly enough, Hawaii is 2-4 ATS at home enough while SDSU is 4-1 on the road, hitting 4.7 points per game above projections.

Lately, Hawaii is turning the ball over way too much and getting burned too often. The funny thing is they went ahead and won a defensive slugfest at UNLV last week 21-7. This week may be somewhat similar, but with the Rainbow Warriors favored at -3.5, +105, it may be too close for the spread here. AVOID.

Over/Under (O/U)

The O/U is 48 (-110 on both sides). The final could come close but more than likely, this comes down to the fourth quarter.

That over will still be dicey as point projections are right around 48 for this game. This game comes down to a possible backdoor cover at the end. TAKE THE UNDER here and hope San Diego State’s defense does not crumble.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1623]