2025 Mountain West Conference Tournament

The Mountain West is a top-heavy conference this season. New Mexico and Colorado State come into the conference tournament as clear favorites to win the whole thing. San Diego State has a strong track record in Las Vegas, but it has some quizzical losses on its resume to end the regular season. Utah State and Boise State are capable of winning in Las Vegas, but neither looks strong as we enter the postseason.

Then there is a sheer drop on the board. No other team in the Mountain West looks like it can stand with the four powers at the top. As it stands, it would be a shock if the semifinals did not comprise the top five seeds. But once we get to the final four, all bets are off among the royalty of the Mountain West.

 

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How to Watch the Mountain West Conference Tournament

When: March 12-15

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

Format: Three first round matchups; Top five seeds receive bye to quarterfinals

Watch: First round on MW Network; Quarterfinals and semifinals on CBS Sports Network; Final on CBS, Saturday, Mar. 15

College Basketball Odds | College Basketball Betting Splits | Greg Peterson’s Daily Lines | Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings

Mountain West Conference Tournament Bracket

Mountain West Conference Tournament Seeds, Teams and Odds

1. New Mexico Lobos (+250)

2. Colorado State Rams (+350)

3. Utah State Aggies (+330)

4. San Diego State Aztecs (+700)

5. Boise State Broncos (+425)

6. UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (+2000)

7. Nevada Wolf Pack (+2200)

8. San José State Spartans (+20000)

9. Wyoming Cowboys (+25000)

10. Fresno State Bulldogs (+30000)

11. Air Force Falcons (+50000)

(odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate at time of publish)

Favorite To Win Mountain West Conference Tournament

New Mexico is favored to win the conference tournament for a second consecutive year, and there is no question it has earned that title. The Lobos led the Mountain West in defensive rating (95.3), and they have the likely player of the year in Donovan Dent. Since Jan. 17 New Mexico is the 35th-ranked team in the country according to BartTorvik. It ranks 15th in defensive efficiency in the country (94.9) over that span.

The roster is more than just Dent as well. Nelly Junior Joseph is a versatile center who averaged 13.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Mustapha Amzil and Filip Borovicanin are both 6-foot-9 wings who contribute to a team which ranks 18th in the country in defensive rebounding. Junior Jospeh, Amzil and guard Tru Washington all average double figures in scoring along with Dent. It is a balanced group that is not only capable of winning the Mountain West, but a few NCAA Tournament games as well.

Mountain West Conference Tournament Darkhorse

There is only one answer for this category: Colorado State.

The Rams are arguably the hottest team in the country. Since Feb. 17 Colorado State is 7-0 SU and ATS. BartTorvik ranks it as the 10th-best team in the country over that span. The Rams were second in the Mountain West in offensive efficiency (116.5) and during this seven-game winning streak they are top 20 in the country in both offense and defense. That is the unique aspect of this team. Not only do they play offense at a high level, but they defend at a respectable level as well. Colorado State also has one of the best coaches in the league in Niko Medved. The rest of the conference – outside of New Mexico – has fallen by the wayside over the last month. The Rams are the clear and present danger for the Lobos’ chances in Las Vegas.

Players to Watch in the Mountain West Conference Tournament

Donovan Dent has a strong case for the title of “best player” in the Mountain West. Dent averaged 20.4 points and 6.5 assists in the regular season. He is 22nd in the nation in assist rate (36.2%). Dent is also very balanced, with the ability to get to the rim and shoot from the perimeter. He is not a high-volume shooter, but did hit 36.2% of his attempts from deep this season.

The only reason Dent is not considered to be the outright best player in the league is due to the presence of Colorado State forward Nique Clifford. Clifford averaged 18.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the regular season on 50.7% shooting. He has an insane wingspan which allows him to wreak havoc on defense, and it led him to averaging 1.2 steals per game.

Boise State has yet to be mentioned in this piece – it has been a below average season by the program’s standards – but Tyson Degenhart deserves to be. Degenhart put up a career-high 17.8 points and 6.1 rebounds this season. He is an extremely efficient scorer who ranked in the top 20 of free throw, 2-point and 3-point percentage in the Mountain West.

Betting Pick to Win The Mountain West Conference Tournament

Colorado State provides the most value for bettors to win this tournament. BetMGM is offering the Rams at +425 and that is an extremely low price for a team playing the best basketball in the league. Colorado State also got a tremendous draw in the bracket. It will face the winner of Nevada-Fresno State in the quarterfinals, and will likely get Utah State in the semifinals, a team it beat by 27 points less than two weeks ago. The Rams are the best offense in the field with arguably the best player and best coach. They are the only choice on the board to win the Mountain West.

Betting Pick: Colorado State (+425)

Steve Makinen’s Power Ratings for the Mountain West Conference Tournament

  • Since 2011, Mountain West Conference tourney favorites of 5.5 points or less are on a 43-22 ATS (66.2%) surge. Only two of the last 28 such games have resulted in outright upsets.
  • MWC teams facing an opponent that had an earlier round bye are just 3-19 SU and 8-14 ATS (36.4%) as underdogs of fewer than 12 points since 2014. In all other line scenarios, including when favored, they are 10-0 ATS (100%).
  • MWC Semifinal favorites are on a current run of 15-3 SU and 13-5 ATS (72.2%), including 10 straight outright wins and six straight covers.
  • The last six MWC title games went Under the total (100%).
  • Lofty totals of more than 150 in the MWC tourney are on a 9-2 Under (81.8%) surge.

More Steve Makinen Conference Tournament Betting Trends.

Check out the other previews in our 2025 College Basketball Conference Tournament Betting Guide.

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