Nevada Wolf Pack vs. San Diego State Aztecs Prediction & Game Preview - 2/6/2022

Time: 4 p.m. ET

Venue: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA

Where to watch: CBS Sports Network

WynnBet: San Diego State -13

BetMGM: NL

Caesars: NL 

UNR: 9-11 (3-6 MWC)

San Diego State: 12-6 (4-3 MWC)

I remember a time not so long ago where are the San Diego State Aztecs were a top team in the Mountain West Conference. In hindsight that was this year, but given the circumstance of how time has become a mythical construct to this point, you can be forgiven if you did not understand the realms of time.

Tell me that doesn't sound like a Doctor Strange moment.

So I look at San Diego State and I wonder, with the Mountain West Conference as a whole, is there room for San Diego State to actually be considered a top team in that realm right now?

I sincerely think we are going to get that answer on Sunday when San Diego State hosts the Nevada Wolfpack. Because San Diego State, despite being one of the teams lumped in the middle of the Mountain West standings, still has the capability of showing that the Aztecs can be a dangerous team.

We will call this what it is though. Ever since San Diego State returned from having two games postponed due to COVID, the Aztecs have not been themselves. After starting the season with ten wins and 13 games and winning by 30 points at home against a then-ranked Colorado State team, San Diego State has alternated wins and losses in their last five games, but somehow, the winds have come by 25 points against UNLV and New Mexico.

The losses were losing by 5 to Boise State at home, with the Aztecs scoring only 37 points for the entire game, an 18 point loss at Utah State and a one-point loss at Colorado State this past Friday. Not even Matt Bradley scoring 27 points and leading the Aztecs and scoring for the third time in four games could push San Diego State that season series sweep against the Rams.

So now San Diego State has a challenge ahead of them as far as keeping the same level of intensity they showed earlier in the season. But if they don't start to figure out ways to win games that they need to or that they should, it's going to be a long final few weeks of the regular season.

And fortunately for San Diego State, the Aztecs are getting a very capable opponent in terms of getting back into the win column facing a UNR team that has lost five of its last six. It also doesn't help matters that UNR has lost all of those games by double digits.

Desmond Cambridge Jr. had 16 points on Friday in a 17 point loss at Fresno State. Cambridge has taken the load in terms of scoring, rather than Grant Sherfield who did it for the majority of the first half of the season.

While it was not the most stingiest defense nowadays, San Diego State is still good enough to keep teams down for an extended period of time. I expect that to continue against UNR. San Diego State by 14

The over is 27-18 following a non-conference game for UNR.

UNR is 3-10 ATS this season when they fail to cover.

San Diego State is 36-27 ATS as a favorite.

PG: Grant Sherfield

SG: Desmond Cambridge
SF: DanielFoster
PF: Kenan Blackshear
C: Will Baker

PG: LaMont Butler

SG: Trey Pulliam
SF: Matt Bradley
PF: Keshad Johnson
C: Nathan Mensah