One team has got to give in this battle between two Nevada-based schools this coming Tuesday, when the No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack clash with the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Nevada is the heavy favorite to win the conference, but is it in for a shock against the Rebels? Or will the Wolf Pack hand UNLV its third loss in conference play? Vegas (read: the sportsbook) likes Nevada by 9.5-points going into the game against their local rivals.
Betting on the Nevada Wolf Pack (19-1 Overall / 6-1 Conference)
Nevada claimed another victim in their most recent game, downing the Colorado State Rams
at home in an easy 100-60 win at home on Jan. 23. Nevada continues to feed off the energy of it top two players in Jordan Caroline and Caleb Martin. Caroline led the team against the Rams with 26 points on an excellent 11-for-15 shooting from the field. He also hit four 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds in 31 minutes. Martin, meanwhile, had 18 points, albeit on an inefficient 6-for-15 shooting. The Wolf Pack also showcased their range in the Colorado State game, as they went 13-for-27 from deep. That kind of production from deep can be expected of Nevada on any give game, as the school is third in the conference with an average of 8.2 3-pointers per contest.
Nevada is 4-1 straight up (SU) and 2-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last four meetings with UNLV.
Betting on the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (11-8 Overall / 5-2 Conference)
UNLV is out to prove to the Wolf Pack that the gap between them and the generally considered best team in the conference isn’t as wide as most people think. Proving that case got harder for the Rebels, though, after they absorbed a 94-77 road loss to the San Diego State Aztecs last Saturday. The Rebels’ defense let them down the most in the San Diego State game, as they allowed the Aztecs to shoot 56.1 percent from the field. What was supposed to be the Rebels’ strength also didn’t manifest against San Diego State, as they got outrebounded, 38-26. The Rebels are usually a great rebounding team, so hopefully, their inability to win the battle on the glass last weekend was a mere anomaly. They are second in the Mountain West Conference with 40.3 rebounds per game and tops in the league with 15.0 offensive boards per contest.
UNLV is 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS in its last four games as the home team.
