How and what to watch for San Diego State vs. Nevada

The 3-1 San Diego State Aztecs look to keep pace in the Mountain West title race as they head out to the desert to take on the 4-0 Nevada Wolfpack.

San Diego State looks like one of the better teams in the conference this season. Just last week its SP+ ranking jumped 15 spots to put them firmly in the top 50. The Wolfpack sits closely behind at 57.

This should be a relatively close matchup, but the Aztecs defense will be the difference maker. The defense is ranked fourth in the nation by SP+, while Nevada’s offense is ranked 76 by the same metric. San Diego State should be able to hold the boys from the desert in check, especially on the ground where they only allow 91 yards per game. Quarterback Carson Strong will be the biggest challenge the defense has seen so far though, with 1517 yards, 12 touchdowns and just one interception so far this season.

The Wolfpack defense will need to be strong on the ground as its facing one of the best running offenses in the nation. The Aztecs have the 22nd most explosive running game in the country, and average close to 300 yards on the ground each game. Nevada allows explosive runs (rushes of 12+ yards) on 8.59% of plays, which is 26th best in the country. The defense is good in terms of sheer yards as well, only allowing 126 yards on the ground each game, but this is SDSU’s bread and butter, so they’ll be tested early and often.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch San Diego State vs. Nevada on Saturday, November 21st at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, or you can stream it via the CBS Sports app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: San Diego State (-2) vs. Nevada
Point Total: 46.5
Money line: San Diego State (-130) vs. Nevada (+105)

• The Aztecs are 5-1 ATS in its last six, and have been just as impressive when going head-to-head with Nevada, going 6-3 ATS in the last nine matchups between the teams
• Both of these teams have underperformed on the scoreboard recently, the under has hit in 15 of SDSU’s last 18 and its hit on four of Nevada’s last five.

Betting splits

San Diego State: (42% of handle, 60% percent of bets)
Nevada: (58% of handle, 40% percent of bets)

The Best Bet

SDSU’s defense is very good, particularly against the run. But Strong has been having a fantastic season so far, and he good provide a big challenge for the Aztecs. Still, even against the pass San Diego State has been very good. Pick the California kids to cover.

Pick: SDSU -2

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