Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Boise State fans cheer as they pull even with San Diego State during their Mountain West Conference Tournament game Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at the Thomas & Mack Center. SDSU won the game 73-67 and will face New Mexico on Friday.
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016 | 1:45 p.m.
The Rebel Room
Rice Era Ends
A decision has been made and Dave Rice is out in his fifth year as UNLV's men's basketball coach. Las Vegas Sun sports editor Ray Brewer and reporters Case Keefer and Taylor Bern get together to break down Rice's tenure and what's next for UNLV.
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- Take 5: Simon’s opportunity to impress with UNLV starts tonight
- Rebels hope to band together, start season turnaround vs. New Mexico
- Bern’s-Eye View: Possible candidates for UNLV’s next basketball coach
- It’s time for someone else to complete Dave Rice’s vision for UNLV basketball
- UNLV makes change at basketball coach amid Rice’s struggles
- The Sun's UNLV coverage
We’re barely into Mountain West play and most things are going to shuffle, but the top two teams might not.
San Diego State and Boise State are the defending regular season co-champions. They were picked 1 and 2 in pretty much every preseason poll and just a few games in, they are the only undefeated teams in league play. Other than injuries, the most likely thing to derail either team is the road, and that’s where both are tonight.
The Aztecs travel to Colorado State, while the Broncos are heading to UNR. It’s a rare slate tonight, as the third game (Wyoming at San Jose State) also features a road favorite in a league where home teams tend to get a little extra bump.
Here’s a look at the picks on a night that could provide even a little more separation at the top of the standings:
Lines are the best available at the time of publication on the chosen side in Las Vegas.
Boise State (minus-4) at UNR
7 p.m., Mountain West Network/Campus Insiders
• The Wolf Pack (10-6, 2-2) snapped its streak of ATS losses at six against Air Force, but I’m still backing this one like it’s a trend. So tonight, it’s fading UNR against Boise State (12-4, 3-0) with the over.
Pick: Boise State
Wyoming (minus-4) at San Jose State
7 p.m., Mountain West Network
• Wyoming (9-8, 2-2) is almost never a road favorite, and the only time it happened this season, the Cowboys lost straight up. Give me the Spartans (5-11, 0-4) for their first Mountain West victory since Feb. 18, 2014.
Pick: San Jose State
San Diego State (minus-3) at Colorado State
7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
• The Rams (10-6, 2-1) defeated UNLV and then needed overtime to survive at San Jose State, so not sure exactly where to slot them right now. But either way, I think San Diego State’s defense will be enough for a six-point win in an ugly game for the Aztecs (10-6, 3-0).
Pick: San Diego State
Last week: 7-4
Season: 54-65-4
Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.
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