College Basketball season has arrived! The road to March Madness is here, and it starts with conference play. The Mountain West had another strong year and was an extremely competitive conference. As we continue our journey through every team and conference, here is the College Basketball 2026-27 preview. It’s time for the Mountain West preview, odds, and best bets.
Utah State picked up the Mountain West regular season title in a jam-packed top of the standings. They went on to capture the conference tournament championship as well. Overall, Utah State was the only Mountain West team to make the big dance in March. A bit of a letdown from previous seasons with multiple teams making the show.
Nevada, Colorado State, UNLV, and Wyoming all made the NIT, representing the conference in the postseason there. For Utah State, it was a great way to end their time in the Mountain West. After the season concluded, they joined the newly recreated PAC-12. The PAC-12 took five Mountain West members. In addition to Utah State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and Boise State all moved on. MWC replaces those teams with three new members for this basketball season. UTEP, Hawaii, and UC Davis.
Odds to Win Mountain West Conference Regular Season
Grand Canyon +100
New Mexico +225
Nevada +525
UNLV +875
Wyoming +2000
Hawaii +5000
San Jose +20000
UC Davis +20000
UTEP +20000
Air Force +75000
Mountain West Conference Best Bets
New Mexico to Win Mountain West Conference (+225)
There’s a lot to like about what New Mexico has going into this season. With Utah State, San Diego State, Boise State, and Colorado State leaving for the PAC-12, the Lobos have an opportunity to become the face of the new Mountain West. They went 26-11 last season, finished 13-7 in conference play, and reached the NIT semifinals. More importantly, second-year head coach Eric Olen has retained a talented backcourt and brought in some interesting transfers.
Jake Hall and Uriah Tenette lead the returning stars for the Lobos. Hudson Mayes, Rytis Petraitis, and Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi headline the transfer class. Olen is known for offensive efficiency and disciplined offensive and defensive systems. With the openness of the conference and the building blocks he put in place in year one, I love the Lobos this season to establish themselves as the new standard.
UNLV Under 11.5 Conference Wins (+150)
For all of the returning teams in this conference, there is some opportunity to grow with teams departing. But this UNLV squad scares me a bit. They’ve turned over almost the entire roster, with 11 new players joining the team this year. With only 18 conference games on the schedule, they’ll have to win 12 games, which might be a bit of an ask.
My biggest concerns with this team are the 11 newcomers. Big chemistry questions here. AJ Storr‘s eligibility is still unresolved. Grand Canyon and New Mexico will be difficult opponents. If they stumble out of the gate, winning two-thirds of their conference games is a lot. I’ll ride the under on the Rebels.
