Nevada vs. San Jose State odds: Picks from West Coast expert who's 4-1 on Wolf Pack games

Josh Nagel is a Reno-based handicapper who has his finger on the pulse of Nevada basketball

By CBS Sports Staff

Feb 21, 2018 at 12:30 pm ET • 1 min read

It's a Mountain West showdown Wednesday as the conference's top team, Nevada, hosts San Jose State in a nationally televised game at 10 p.m. ET. The Wolf Pack opened as 23-point home favorites and now are laying 22. The over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, opened at 149.5, but has ticked up to 150.

Before picking either side, you need to read what SportsLine college hoops expert and senior analyst Josh Nagel -- who has put together an impressive 4-1 run picking Wolf Pack games -- has to say.

Earlier this month, Nagel made a strong pick involving Nevada at UNLV, confidently selecting the Rebels at +9. He wisely recognized that the guard-oriented Wolf Pack would have matchup problems against the Rebels' formidable front court. The result? UNLV big man Shakur Juiston shot 9 of 11 from the field as the Rebels pulled off an 86-78 upset; the game went exactly as Nagel said.

Now, Nagel, a contest-winning handicapper with a strong analytical background, has examined every matchup, every player and every trend for San Jose State-Nevada and locked in his against-the-spread pick.

Nagel knows the Wolf Pack's best shot at covering will be to pounce on the Spartans early, taking control of the game in the first half and quashing any hope San Jose State may have in pulling off a huge upset.

But the Spartans can keep it within the spread -- or win outright -- by stymieing UNLV big man and leading scorer Caleb Martin, who knocks down three-pointers at a 40 percent clip. If San Jose State forward Ryan Welage gets on an early roll, the Spartans could generate enough momentum to continue fighting deep into the second half.