Picks, Odds & How to Watch Mountain West Tournament (2026)
By Chris Amberley in College Basketball
Published:
- Utah State is a +220 favorite to win the Mountain West Tournament
- The Aggies have made the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive years and currently project as an 8-seed
- See my favorite picks, plus the odds and how to watch the 2026 Mountain West Tournament, below
The Mountain West Tournament tips off on Wednesday, with top seed Utah State looking to win its first conference tourney since 2020. Online sportsbooks like their chances, pegging them as +220 favorites in the college basketball odds, but this is a tournament that’s wide open.
At least five teams have a very realistic shot of lifting the Mountain West trophy, and I see good value on a couple programs, including a +2500 longshot. Keep reading for my favorite picks, plus the odds and how to watch the 2026 Mountain West Tournament.
Mountain West Tournament Picks
Regardless of whether they win the Mountain West Tournament or not, I expect Utah State to crack the March Madness odds bracket. They currently project as an 8-seed per ESPN, and have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the three previous years without winning the conference crown.
There’s plenty to like about Utah State at both ends of the floor. They run an extremely efficient motion offense that consistently gets good looks at the rim and beyond the arc. The Aggies also do a great job of crashing the boards and are excellent in transition. Their backcourt of Mason Falslev, MJ Collins Jr. and Drake Allen is one of the best in the nation, and their offense is 7 points better per 100 possessions than anyone else in the Mountain West.
Defensively, they force turnovers at an elite rate, which gives them plenty of extra possessions to build margin. They’re a solid mid-major, but they’re far from invincible. The Aggies lost five times in conference play, and outside of racking up a bunch of steals, don’t defend exceptionally well. They rank outside the top-150 in opponent shooting efficiency, and 185th in enemy three-point field goal percentage.
Utah State is also short on rim protection, with none of their top-eight rotational players standing above 6-8. Bottom line, they’re a strong team, but far from a dominant one, and can be had on any given night.
In terms of teams that have the best shot to take them down, I’m betting on both Grand Canyon and Colorado State. The Antelopes are loaded with upper classmen, and defend better than anyone in the Mountain West. They also lead the conference in rebounding, and are extremely well coached by Bryce Drew.
Grand Canyon already has wins over the top-two seeds on their resume, but the question is can they produce enough offense to win the whole tournament? Guard Jaden Henley, the Mountain West’s second leading scorer, will be relied on heavily, but this is a team that’s been to March Madness in three consecutive seasons, and I’m counting on defense and coaching to get them back there this year.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, is last year’s conference champion Colorado State. The Rams have the talent to shoot the lights out, and are the conference’s most efficient team from beyond the arc.
Mountain West 3 Point Field Goal Percentage
Colorado State shoots threes at the country’s 22nd highest rate, and knocks down nearly 40% of their long range looks. There’s no Wooden Award odds contender on their roster, but their ability to rain triples gives them a sky-high ceiling over the course of one week, especially at +2500 odds.
The concern of course is a defense that ranks 194th in efficiency, but if you’re betting the Rams like me, you’re banking on them outshooting their opponents.
Mountain West Tournament Odds
The best odds currently available on Grand Canyon (+475) and Colorado State (+2500) at the time of writing are over at bet365. The Rams were arguably the hottest Mountain West team down the stretch, winning eight straight before dropping their season finale to Boise State. They beat both #2 San Diego State and #3 New Mexico during that run, who are their projected quarterfinal and semifinal opponents.
SPORTSBOOK
Odds as of 8:00 pm ET, March 10th. Get the bet365 promo code to get a bonus to use on NCAA basketball.
How to Watch Mountain West Tournament
All Mountain West Tournament games this year will take place at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following first round action on Wednesday, quarterfinals and semifinals will tip off on Thursday and Friday respectively, with the championship game set for Saturday.
First round action will be available to watch on the Mountain West Network, with CBS Sports Network handling the quarters and semis, before CBS/Paramount+ take over broadcasting duties for the final.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.