The Colorado State Rams will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the first round of the NIT Tournament tonight. Both teams finished near the top of their respective conferences, but the Rams saw the likes of San Diego State and Boise State in the Mountain West, while the Jackrabbits piled up the victories against lesser competition.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Home Cookin' - The Rams boast a home record of 15-1, and they've covered the spread in eight of their last 10 home games. The Jackrabbits were just 6-8 on the road this season.

2. Cold Shooting - The Jackrabbits are coming off their worst shooting performance of the season, hitting just 32% of their field goal attempts in a heart-breaking 57-56 loss to North Dakota State.

3. X-Factor - The Rams are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Selection: This is a play on the Colorado State Rams (*8)