NCAA Basketball Betting: San Diego State Can Return as the Best of the Mountain West

In the fall, it can be easy to get caught up with rampant NFL action, college football rivalries and MLB's World Series.

Still, autumn also brings out the hoops. Sure, there is always the NBA, but college basketball offers an experience unlike any other.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, the 2023-24 college basketball conference betting odds have officially gone live. With that, let's have a look at the Mountain West Conference's MBB regular season winner.

All NCAAB odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

San Diego State Aztecs (+145)

We were all privy to their historic run last season, but make no mistake -- the San Diego State Aztecs are much more than a flash in the pan. As the 2022-23 national runner-up, SDSU carries major expectations for the coming year. In head coach Brian Dutcher's seventh season with the Aztecs, they are again viewed as the best team in the Mountain West.

San Diego State played to a 32-7 mark over the most recent campaign, setting a school record for annual wins. Naturally, that rate was good enough to earn them their third MWC regular season title in the past four years.

Glancing at ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25, the Aztecs are the only program from their respective conference to show on the poll; currently, they are ranked 18th. Sure, SDSU is addressing quite a few losses on the roster, but returners Lamont Butler, Darrion Trammell and Micah Parrish still offer a solid core.

New Mexico Lobos (+400)

Led by the son of the legendary Rick Pitino, the New Mexico Lobos have been building momentum since 2020. Under head coach Richard Pitino, UNM is heading into their third season. Will they continue the track record of recent improvement?

On KenPom, the Lobos currently chime in at 46th (+14.24 adjusted efficiency margin) in the nation. In conference, that leaves them second behind only San Diego State (29th; +17.95). Keep in mind that this squad in Albuquerque emphasizes offense. Last year, New Mexico pushed the rock for 80.9 PPG.

Also in 2022-23, the Lobos cracked the AP Top 25 for the time in nearly a decade. They did not finish the most recent campaign ranked but found themselves as high as No. 21 at one point. Still, in terms of winning the MWC regular season, New Mexico has not accomplished that feat since 2013.

Boise State Broncos (+430)

In 13 years with Leon Rice as head coach, the Boise State Broncos have qualified for the big dance on four separate occasions. However, two of those March Madness bids have come in the past two seasons, and the Broncos have played to a masterful 51-28 record over that span. Oh yes, Boise State can ball.

After the Aztecs, the Broncos are the side to have most recently won a Mountain West regular season title (2021-22). Of course, Boise State has managed that accolade once prior in school history, doing so in 2015 (also under Coach Rice). Simply, at +430 on FanDuel Sportsbook, BSU is not a terrible bet to do it again in the coming campaign.

The Broncos are returning some really solid hoopers. Both of their leading scorers from a year ago -- wing players Tyson Degenhart and Max Rice (the son of Leon) -- are back to shoulder the load in 2023. If they can each contribute more than 14.0 PPG for the second straight season, Boise State will once again win a slew of games.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels (+1000)

Obviously, the days of "Tark the Shark" are part of a bygone era in Sin City. Yes, it has been quite some time since the UNLV Runnin' Rebels made real noise amongst the NCAAB ranks, but perhaps they are headed in the right direction under alum and former point guard, Kevin Kruger.

Kruger played one season for the Rebs back in 2007 (for his father Lon Kruger), which means he was part of UNLV's most recent team to make it passed the second round of March Madness. Now in his third year as the program's head coach, the younger Kruger is looking return the glory days to Thomas & Mack Center.

At 10-to-1 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook to win their upcoming regular season conference title, the Runnin' Rebels are certainly a long shot, but they should be at least distantly in the conversation. With one of the better fan environments in the Mountain West, it can be a tough place to play when facing a rotation comprised of exclusively upperclassmen.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds prior to the regular season.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.