The college basketball betting action continues Tuesday, February 8, with plenty of interesting matchups around the country, so we’re taking a closer look at the Mountain West Conference battle from Lawlor Events Center in Reno to get you the best Colorado State vs. Nevada betting pick and odds.

The Rams square off against the Wolf Pack for the second time this season. Back on January 25, Colorado State defeated Nevada 77-66 and covered an 8.5-point spread in front of the home audience. The Rams are 5-point road favorites this time around, while the totals sit at 148.5 points on BetOnline Sportsbook.

Colorado State narrowly beat San Diego State, snapped its two-game skid     

The Colorado State Rams (17-3; 9-10 ATS) are coming off a huge 58-57 home win over the San Diego State Aztecs this past Friday. They failed to cover a 4-point spread, but the Rams managed to stop their two-game slide by beating one of the toughest defensive teams in the country.

Colorado State nearly blew a massive 20-point second-half lead, as the Aztecs played relentless D down the stretch. David Roddy’s jumper with nine seconds left on the clock decided the winner, and junior guard finished the game with 22 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

Roddy leads the way for the Rams, averaging 18.8 points, 7.8 boards, and 3.0 assists a night. Colorado State scores 113.6 points per 100 possessions (24th in the country) on 49.2% shooting from the field (8th) and 37.4% from beyond the arc (30th). The Rams (7-3 Conf.) are No. 40 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 52 in the latest KenPom rankings.

Nevada nearly stunned the Aztecs, recorded its fifth straight loss   

The Nevada Wolf Pack (9-12; 6-14 ATS) are coming off a heart-breaking 65-63 defeat at the San Diego State Aztecs this past Sunday. Playing as massive 14.5-point road underdogs, Steve Alford’s boys tried their best to upset the odds but couldn’t cope with the Aztecs in crunch time.

The Wolf Pack extended their losing streak to five games despite shooting 44.2% from the field and 52.6% from downtown against San Diego State’s sturdy defense. Senior guard Desmond Cambridge led the way with 18 points and four rebounds, while sophomore big man Will Baker added 14 points and eight boards.

Nevada fell to 3-7 in the conference play. The Wolf Pack are No. 140 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 136 in the KenPom rankings. They score 105.3 points per 100 possessions (124th in the nation) on 43.5% shooting from the field (210th) and 32.2% from deep (269th).

Trends:

Colorado State:

  • 4-2 ATS in the last six games played in February

Nevada:

  • 2-10 ATS in the last 12 games overall
  • 1-5 ATS in the last six games at home  

Colorado State vs. Nevada Pick

The Rams outlasted the Wolf Pack in January thanks to an excellent defensive performance in the final six minutes of the second half. Nevada scored a paltry three points in that stretch and failed to cover an 8.5-point spread.

I’m expecting a similar scenario in this game. The Rams are not a great defensive team, but certainly a better one than Nevada. Should the Rams find their shooting rhythm, they will beat the Wolf Pack by a few possessions.

Pick: Take Colorado State -5.0 at -110                    

The Total:

The under is 10-3 in Colorado State’s last 13 outings, and it is 5-0 in Nevada’s previous five. On the other hand, the total has gone over in 14 of the last 18 encounters between the Rams and Wolf Pack.

Colorado State averages 67.7 possessions per 40 minutes (174th in the country). Nevada, on the other side, loves to speed up things, registering 70.9 possessions per 40 minutes (43rd). The hosts should have enough firepower to hit a 70-point mark, so I’m backing the over. Nevada has scored 70 or more points in five of its last eight showings at home.

Pick: Go under 148.5 points at -110