Colorado State has bounced back so well from missing the college basketball postseason in 2023 that ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi has had the Rams as high as a No. 6 seed in the South Region.
That would match a program-best from 2022 when the team finished a season ranked in the Associated Press poll for the first time at No. 24 despite losing to 11th-seed Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. However, if the Rams are going to stay high in Lunardi’s chart and eventually with the NCAA selection committee, they’ve got to stop a recent slide.
To get you in the mood for Colorado sports betting on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, BetColorado.com took a look at CSU’s history since 1989 and breaks down what it needs to do to match or improve upon that 2022 team.
CSU's NCAA Appearances Since 1989
Fanatics Sportsbook Colorado lists Connecticut as the men’s basketball title favorite at +450 odds. Purdue is second at +750.
Bad Stretch Could Hurt Chances
Colorado State has struggled recently when playing away from Moby Arena in its Fort Collins, Colorado, home. The Rams are 1-3 in their past four games, and all three losses have been on the road.
They were 19-5 with a 7-4 conference record when they went to San Diego State on Feb. 13. They rebounded from a 71-55 loss to the Aztecs with a 20-point win over Utah State at home on Feb. 17, but then followed up with losses at New Mexico (68-66) and UNLV (66-60).
That leaves CSU at 8-7 and in seventh place in the Mountain West. It’s highly unlikely the NCAA selection committee will think well enough of the Rams to give them a No. 6 seed if they don’t finish strong and have a good run in the conference tournament.
Colorado State gets back-to-back games at home with Nevada on Tuesday and Wyoming on Saturday. It will close the regular season with a road trip to Air Force on March 9. The Rams were 1-2 against those teams in the first round of conference games. Nevada is currently fourth in the Mountain West, and it handed the Rams a 77-64 loss on Jan. 24. Wyoming is eighth in the conference at 6-8, but it knocked off CSU in overtime 79-76 on Jan. 29. Air Force is only 2-12 in the conference, but it took the Rams to overtime before falling 78-69 on Jan. 16.
Colorado sportsbook promos will be plentiful on the NCAA Tournament. The Rams are currently +10000 to win the national championship.
