The Mountain West’s top team will be on the road when the San Diego State Aztecs (19-7) head to San Jose State Event Center to take on the San Jose State Spartans (8-18). The game begins at 4:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21 and will air on CCS.
The Spartans are hoping to rebound after their 61-55 loss to Nevada on Wednesday. Despite the loss, Frank Rogers earned his seventh double-double this season with 14 points and 17 rebounds. The Aztecs, meanwhile, are coming off a 70-61 win against Air Force on Saturday. Malik Pope played well for San Diego State, recording 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
The Spartans might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Aztecs rank sixth in defensive efficiency, while San Jose State ranks 272nd in offensive efficiency. Also, the offense of the Aztecs seems ready to earn plenty of trips to the line. They rank 23rd in the nation in FTA rate (44.2), while the Spartans are among the nation’s most foul-happy teams (allowing a 318th-ranked mark of 43.9).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Aztecs won the first game 77-62. Despite the loss, Ryan Welage was a top performer in the game with 23 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and three three-pointers.
Despite an 8-18 Straight Up (SU) record, the Spartans have fared well Against The Spread (ATS) with a 16-9 record. San Jose State’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 60.0 during that span, compared to its 73.1 season average.
As for their opponent, San Diego State has a SU record of 19-7 and an ATS record of 9-10-3. San Diego State is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Aztecs average 39.5 rebounds per game, making them the 48th-best team in the country for that category. The San Diego State defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking sixth in Division I with only 60.2 points allowed per game. The Aztecs have the best opponent field-goal percentage in the nation at .368. One advantage for the Aztecs could be San Jose State’s high fouls per game average of 22.1.
San Diego State beat San Jose State in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record to 4-0. At 2-2, they are even ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – SDSU, ATS Winner – SDSU
Notes
San Jose State scores an average of just 71.3 points per game (ranked 173rd). San Diego State ranks sixth in points allowed, giving up 60.2 points per game.
The San Diego State Aztecs have a defensive rating of 91.9 (ranked sixth), while the San Jose State Spartans have an offensive rating of 100.6 (ranked 272nd).
The San Jose State Spartans average a field goal percentage of 42.9% this season. The San Diego State Aztecs have split their games this season (1-1) when opponents have a FG% of 42.9% or greater.
The San Jose State Spartans rank lower for their field goal percentage (235th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (228th), but the San Diego State Aztecs have a better FG% ranking (297th) than eFG% ranking (311th).
San Jose State ranks 87th in assists, registering 14.9 per game. San Diego State performs worse at 343rd with 10.2 assists per game.
San Diego State, the 48th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 39.5 rebounds per game. San Jose State does worse, ranked 128th with 37.2.
San Jose State ranks 99th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, San Diego State ranks 86th.
On average, San Jose State forces a turnover rate of 17.5%. When San Diego State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 13-6 record.
