Mountain West Tournament Predictions, Betting Odds, Favorites to Win 2023

• The Boise State Broncos, first-time winners of the Mountain West Conference Tournament, are the reigning champions.
• The 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament will be held at the Thomas and Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada, from March 8th through March 11th.
• San Diego State, New Mexico, and Boise State are the favorites heading into the MWC Tournament.

The Mountain West has had one of its most competitive seasons in recent history, with several teams posing as legitimate Mountain West Conference Tournament championship contenders. 

This single-elimination tournament will feature March Madness hopefuls, such as San Diego State, Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State, and Nevada. Check out our favorite three teams below to see why each has a shot at claiming the title as the best team in the Mountain West.

Favorites to Win the 2023 Mountain West Conference Tournament

Boise State Broncos

After ending a long drought last season, the Boise State Broncos can finally say they are MWC tournament champions. The Broncos narrowly escaped in the championship game against a talented San Diego State squad that secured a No. 8 seed in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Through the end of January, Boise State pulled together a 17-5 record, with two of those losses coming in its first three games. In short, the Broncos have played exceptionally well since then, 

As good as San Diego State’s defense has been this season, Boise State has been even better, forcing teams to shoot less than 30% from behind the arc. That is one of the best marks in the nation. 

Offensively, the Broncos have struggled to score at times outside of their starting five, all of whom (Naje Smith, Tyson Degenhart, Max Rice, Marcus Shaver Jr, and Chibuzo Agbo) average close to double-digit points. As a matter of fact, their bench averages barely over ten points per game. This will be something to keep an eye on. However, they will be fine if they stay out of foul trouble.

New Mexico Lobos

Beware the Lobos, a team that seems allergic to losing; they have only dropped three of their first 22 games. The Lobos even won against Saint Mary’s, an extremely underrated basketball team that will undoubtedly make noise in this year’s March Madness tournament.

New Mexico’s leading scorer has a name you should be familiar with if you are a basketball fan: Jamal Mashburn Jr. Mashburn’s father was an NBA basketball player; he could be heading in that direction. In his freshman season, Mashburn showed a ton of promise for the Minnesota Golden Gophers but decided to transfer to New Mexico the following season. Now, he’s posting just shy of 20 points per game on roughly a 45/41/80 shooting split.

Mashburn is joined in the backcourt by another big-time scorer: Jaelen House. House posts close to 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists; he’s one of the best all-around players in not only the conference but the nation, as well.

New Mexico’s offense is its bread and butter, as it ranks just outside the top ten in points per game. The Lobos love to get up and down the floor and allow House and Mashburn to do what they do best: score. 

San Diego State Aztecs

Arguably the most decorated Mountain West team outside of UNLV, the San Diego State Aztecs are again a favorite to win the conference tournament. The Aztecs have either won the Mountain West Conference tournament or been runner-up in eight of the past nine seasons and 12 of the past 14. That level of dominance can scarcely be found anywhere else across the country, at least as far as mid-major basketball is concerned. 

Expect another deep run in the Mountain West Conference Tournament and March Madness for this San Diego State team. It has been ranked in KenPom’s Top 25 for much of the season and even ranked atop his adjusted defensive efficiency at one point this season. 

Through the end of January, San Diego State had lost four games: Saint Mary’s, New Mexico, Arizona, and Arkansas were the only teams to beat it by that point. All of the teams mentioned above spent time this season in the Top 25, proving the Aztecs belong with the best.

The Aztecs are led by senior guards Darrion Trammell and Matt Bradley, two volume scorers. San Diego State’s offense is successful not due to any one player, but because its scoring is well-distributed and selfish. Neither Trammell nor Bradley shoots above 40% from the field, but many other players display consistent output, leading the Aztec offense to competency. 

What makes San Diego State a truly dangerous team entering the Mountain West Conference Tournament is its defense, an identity staple in recent years. The Aztecs are a dangerous team and will have a great chance at taking home yet another conference title.