Utah State vs Fresno State Odds, Lines, and Spread (Jan. 18)

• Fresno State is a 3-point favorite over Utah State on Tuesday (Jan. 18th) at 11 pm ET in Mountain West play
• The Aggies are 1-5 versus teams ranked inside the top-70 this season
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

You could go to bed early on Tuesday, but that would mean missing out on a chance to sweat some Mountain West college hoops action. Fresno State (12-4, 2-1 MWC) hosts Utah State (10-7, 1-3 MWC), looking for its third straight victory.

The Aggies meanwhile, have dropped back-to-back outings, with the latest coming in heartbreaking fashion.

Utah State vs Fresno State Odds

Odds as of Jan 17th at FanDuel.

The Bulldogs opened up as a 3-point home favorite, in a game that features a total of 130.5. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 pm ET at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California with CBSSN providing the broadcast coverage.

Fresno State Bulldogs Betting Analysis

Fresno State’s latest victory came last Friday, when they knocked off UNLV 73-68 in Las Vegas. Orlando Robinson led the way with 24 points, and 11 rebounds, while Anthony Holland splashed 14, and Isaiah Hill poured in 12.

#FresnoState Orlando Robinson jr turning up this season. Is definitely candidate for Mountain West POY.

Robinson is averaging
19.8ppg
8.3rebs
1.5 blks
FG% 50%
3pt% 34%
Efficient basketball 🏀 @O_BREEZY_17 pic.twitter.com/4x7MY2ykzm

— ⒸⓄⒶⒸⒽ🅱︎🅸🅶🐝𐤆𐤄𐤅𐤄 (@LamarBigs) January 15, 2022

For the second straight game, the Bulldogs shot over 50% from the field, while knocking down 37.5% of their three-point attempts. They also finished +9 on the glass, but the offensive efficiency lately is somewhat surprising.

Fresno State ranks 256th in the nation in points per game (65.6), 256th in three-point efficiency, and 159th in effective field goal percentage.

This clip is wild from start to finish.#GoDogs | #ValleyTough pic.twitter.com/MrHTKRVtMG

— Fresno State Men’s Basketball (@FresnoStateMBB) January 15, 2022

Defense is their specialty, and that was on display once again versus the Rebels. The Bulldogs held UNLV to 42.1% from the field, and just 6 offensive rebounds. For the season, Fresno State ranks second in the nation in scoring defense, yielding an average of only 56.8 points per game. They allow the third fewest field goal attempts, the 19th fewest assists, while boasting the 13th best defensive rebounding percentage.

Utah State Aggies Betting Analysis

The Aggies latest setback came in the dying seconds versus Wyoming. They surrendered a go-ahead lay-up with 3.3 seconds remaining, and failed to hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer to fall 71-69.

Justin Bean led the way with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Rylan Jones also splashed 19. Utah State struggled from the field all night knocking down only 40.6% of their looks, and were a dismal 6-for-26 from beyond the arc.

OH it's like THAT @rylanjones15 ????😱#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/QOwDEAibr7

— USU Men's Hoops (@USUBasketball) January 16, 2022

It’s the second straight game they’ve underwhelmed offensively, but they still boast solid season long stats. They’re averaging 76.2 points per outing, while ranking 29th in effective field goal percentage, and 9th in assists.

Defensively, the numbers are not as promising. They allowed the Cowboys to shoot 52.2% from the field, and 37.5% from three, which is even worse than their season averages. Utah State ranks 190th in scoring defense (70.4 ppg), and 179th in opponent effective field goal percentage.

Utah State vs Fresno State Pick

A closer look at the Aggies overall record suggests they’re a bit of a school yard bully. They prey on the weaker programs, and struggle against the stronger ones. Just one of their 10 victories have come against top-70 opposition, and they’re 1-5 overall versus such opponents. Utah State has also struggled to cover against strong teams, going 1-4 in their last give games versus top-70 programs.

Living it up‼️ pic.twitter.com/g7fRhwtf6c

— Fresno State Men’s Basketball (@FresnoStateMBB) January 15, 2022

Fresno State grades out 54th in the NCAA NET rankings, and has had no such issue covering spreads versus quality opposition. They’re 8-2 ATS in their last 10 overall, including 2-1 against the spread versus top-100 teams. They’ve covered in three straight, and I like them to do so again on Tuesday versus the Aggies.

Pick: Fresno State Bulldogs -3 (-114)