College Basketball Betting: New Mexico at UNLV
The last college hoops game to tip on the Wednesday night schedule will be in the Mountain West conference when New Mexico pays a visit to Sin City to play the Rebels of UNLV. Once upon a time, UNLV was riding high after upsetting then No. 3 Arizona, 71-67. The frontcourt duo of Rashad Vaughn and Christian Wood combined for 45 points and 15 rebounds, and the Rebels moved to 8-3 and 5-0 in the Thomas & Mack Center. Since that win, they are 2-5 and find themselves hovering near the bottom of the conference standings. The Lobos are coming off a home defeat to Boise State, but have held 18 straight opponents to less than 70 points. They are also without sophomore guard Cullen Neal, who last suited up in November. and will likely be shelved for the season with a severely sprained ankle. Here’s a preview and prediction.
NEW MEXICO AT UNLV -4
The Lobos are fortunate to be excellent on defense because their offense without Neal is average at best on a good night. Besides a stiff defense, they also have a glut of depth with 11 players averaging double-digit minutes in playing time. Seniors Deshawn Delaney and Hugh Greenwood have picked up the scoring slack, but neither possesses Neal’s explosive scoring punch. Part of their problem is a lack of three-point shooting; only Greenwood has converted more than 9 on the season. New Mexico is tied for third in the conference, a full game behind first place Wyoming. The probability of the Mountain West receiving two tourney invites is slim, so the Lobos must keep winning to stay in the hunt for the league title and Field of 68 conversation.
As Vaughn and Wood go, so go the Rebels. They are the only ones on the roster averaging double-digits in scoring. Vaughn is a dangerous three-point threat and one of the most dynamic freshman in the country. Meanwhile, Wood has pulled down at least ten rebounds in 12 of 18 games. He along with freshman forward Goodluck Okonoboh have combined to reject 103 shots; they will be licking their chops to face a New Mexico offense that prefers to attack from in close. Freshman guard Patrick McCaw is one to watch; he’s nailed 7-13 from beyond the arc in his last two games. The Rebels are young and energetic, but often struggle with erratic shot selection and defensive breakdowns. Following tough back-to-back road losses, the home court crowd might be just what they need to break the slump. At 1-4 in the conference, they can ill afford many more flops.
New Mexico is 9-7 ATS overall and 3-3 ATS on the road. UNLV is 8-9 ATS overall and 4-6 ATS at home. The Rebels are desperate to right the ship. Despite their recent woes, look for them to come out on top.
Bet UNLV -4
