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The Air Force Falcons take on the UNLV Rebels. Our college basketball odds series has our Air Force UNLV prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Air Force UNLV.
This game is not connected to any bubble, NCAA Tournament, or even NIT dramas as college basketball teams pursue the postseason. The main importance of this game is for seeding purposes in the Mountain West Tournament in a few weeks.
UNLV is eighth in the Mountain West at 5-10 and Air Force is ninth at 5-11. Both teams have a legitimate chance of catching and passing seventh-place Fresno State, which is currently 6-10, and both teams don't want to fall lower to 10th place, where Colorado State is 4-11 and Wyoming is last at 3-12.
Finishing eighth or ninth would be problematic for UNLV and Air Force (and anyone else in the conference), because falling into that 8-9 first-round game would then mean having to play San Diego State, generally viewed as the best team in the Mountain West, in the conference tournament quarterfinal round. Getting up to the seventh spot (where Fresno State currently is) would offer the chance to play either Boise State or Nevada in the quarters — not an easy assignment, but not as daunting as San Diego State.
Here are the Air Force-UNLV college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: Air Force-UNLV Odds
Air Force Falcons: +9.5 (-115)
UNLV Runnin' Rebels: -9.5 (-105)
Over: 136.5 (-115)
Under: 136.5 (-105)
How To Watch Air Force vs. UNLV
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: CBSSports.com
Article Continues Below
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. PT
*Watch Air Force-UNLV LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Air Force Could Cover The Spread
The UNLV Rebels are just not having a good time this season. They started 10-0 and then face-planted. They have been bad in Mountain West play. They got swept by Fresno State, lost at home to Colorado State, and got swept by San Jose State. It's one thing to lose to the top teams in the conference, but the Runnin' Rebels have lost to the middle-tier and lower-tier teams in the Mountain West. It's a hugely disappointing season for coach Kevin Kruger, whose father Lon took UNLV to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and made the Runnin' Rebels a solid and relatively prosperous program. UNLV is far removed from that standard of performance, and the Rebels show no real signs of being able to turn things around.
Air Force is not a good team, and no one is claiming or suggesting that it is. However, AFA can lose by nine points and still cover against a mediocre opponent which has not played particularly well at home. That sounds like a good opening for the Falcons.
Why UNLV Could Cover The Spread
Air Force allowed just 48 points to Fresno State earlier this season, but in the rematch on its home floor in Colorado Springs, Air Force collapsed on defense in the second half, allowing 46 points in under 20 minutes. The Falcons led 37-32 early in the second half but immediately gave away that lead and lost a game they probably felt they should have won (and in which they were favored by 2.5 points). No one is going to tell you that UNLV is a reliable team, but Air Force's implosion on defense in the second half against Fresno State is a reminder of why the Falcons have been a bottom-rung Mountain West team for several years and seem likely to be stuck there for the near future.
Final Air Force-UNLV Prediction & Pick
UNLV and Air Force are both mediocre teams playing out the string. That might suggest staying away from this game, but with the spread being so large and UNLV getting a lot of respect, there's an opening to take Air Force plus the points.
Final Air Force-UNLV Prediction & Pick: Air Force +9.5
