It will be a battle between Mountain West opponents when the Fresno State Bulldogs (17-9) welcome the Utah State Aggies (13-11) to Save Mart Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20 and will air on RT.
The Bulldogs come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, defeating Wyoming 79-75 on Wednesday. Marvelle Harris led all scorers on the team with 25 points on 8-for-15 shooting. The Aggies are coming off a 72-59 win over Colorado State on Wednesday. Chris Smith shot 6 for 10 and led in scoring with 19 points.
Over the last five games, Harris has really been playing well for the Bulldogs, averaging 22.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers. Smith has also been on fire in the same span, averaging 18.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers while leading the Aggies.
The Bulldogs enter the game with records of 17-9 Straight Up (SU) and 11-12 Against The Spread (ATS). Teams have a tough time keeping Fresno State off of the offensive glass. They rank 44th in Division I in offensive rebounds. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Bulldogs are the 25th-best team in the country at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 8.0 steals per game. Fresno State has given up very few turnovers with an average of only 11.4 per game.
Over on the other bench, Utah State has a SU record of 13-11 and an ATS record of 9-12. The Aggies are in for a physical game against Fresno State. The Bulldogs are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.5 fouls per game.
Fresno State and Utah State will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Utah State came out on top, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 7-3. Additionally, with a 6-3-1 record, Utah State has the advantage ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Fres, ATS Winner – Fres
Notes
The Fresno State Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 99.0 (ranked 79th), while the Utah State Aggies have an offensive rating of 107.2 (ranked 139th).
The Fresno State Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 42.8% this season. The Utah State Aggies have an underachieving record of 6-11 when opponents have a FG% of 42.8% or greater.
The Fresno State Bulldogs rank higher based on their field goal percentage (246th) than their effective field goal percentage (281st). The Utah State Aggies rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (103rd) than their field goal percentage (134th).
Utah State ranks 89th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.20. Fresno State is ranked lower at 109th with an A/TO of 1.17.
Fresno State ranks 44th in offensive rebounding. Utah State ranks 203rd in defensive rebounding.
Fresno State averages a forced turnover rate of 21.4% this season. Utah State has a 2-3 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
