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Who's ready for some late-night Mountain West action? Buckle up college basketball fans as the Fresno State Bulldogs travel to Sin City to do battle with the UNLV Rebels. It is about that time to take a look at our College Basketball odds series where our Fresno State-UNLV prediction and pick will be made.
It has been an underwhelming season to say the least for there Bulldogs, as their current three-game losing streak certainly hasn't done this team any favors in instilling some confidence moving forward to the rest of the regular season scheduled slate. Nevertheless, head coach Justin Hutson will have the troops ready in what will prove to be a hostile atmosphere at Thomas & Mack Center.
As for the Rebels, UNLV is coming off a feel-good performance after they were able to overwhelm the Colorado State Rams en route to their third-consecutive victory. Not only did UNLV put up an impressive 83 points on the night, but they also played with a togetherness on defense that was also extremely encouraging. With a record of 15-7 on the year, UNLV will continue to try to make a case for an NCAA Tournament bid in tonight's showdown.
Here are the Fresno State-UNLV college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Fresno State-UNLV Odds
Fresno State: +9.5 (-114)
UNLV: -9.5 (-106)
Over: 130.5 (-115)
Under: 130.5 (-105)
How To Watch Fresno State vs. UNLV
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: Fox Sports App
Time: 11:00 ET/8:00 PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Fresno State Could Cover The Spread
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Coming into this one with a nauseating 7-14 record overall, Fresno State would love nothing more to get the heavy monkey off their backs and breathe a sigh of relief with a hard-fought win on the road. However, in order to do that, some much better basketball will need to be played if the Bulldogs are going to feel a whole lot better about themselves.
To begin, the biggest aspect of the game that Fresno State needs to corral will be to simply be more effective on the offense. In their loss to a Wyoming team that has struggled to find conference wins on the schedule this year, the Bulldogs were out-worked all night long as they shot a measly 37% from the floor which included only 22 points being scored in the entire first half.
Other than the fact that another porous repeat offensively will surely do this team in, storming out of the gates and starting off hot should be a top priority for this Fresno State squad. Not only will this take a raucous crown of it early, but the Bulldogs would also be able to settle in and not rush any of their offensive possessions.
In addition, since Fresno State is one of the lowest-scoring teams in the nation at only 64.5 points per game, the stress that is put on this defense is insanely high. Fortunately, the Bulldogs do possess a gritty defensive unit that is capable of getting stops, but they cannot afford for this side of the floor to do all of the work if they want to win their third conference game of the season.
Why UNLV Could Cover The Spread
At first glance, it becomes quite evident why the Rebels are such heavy favorites in this one, and for good reason. However, there is nothing like the beauty of sports where the unpredictability of an outcome is always at the forefront. With that being said, the Rebels must not overlook a Bulldogs team that is starved to win.
The first order of business for UNLV if they are going ton find a way to win by at least ten points will be to control the tempo of this one by setting up the offense and getting good looks on that end of the floor. This has been a calling card for the Rebels all season long, and while they certainly can make teams pay on the fast break, making Fresno State's defense work for every second of the shot clock seems like an appropriate recipe for success.
Simply put, barring an ugly shooting performance from the Rebels, UNLV should have no problem in outscoring Fresno State in large part due to the fact that the home team in this one has three players averaging at least 12 points per game. Be on the lookout for E.J. Harkless to put on a show as he has dropped a combined 35 points to go along with 14 rebounds in his latest two games. Even if the Rebels aren't on their A-game defensively, this offensive-first bunch should do just enough to put UNLV over the hump.
Final Fresno State-UNLV Prediction & Pick
The Rebels have been able to cover the spread in four of their last five games and are facing off with a Bulldogs squad that has been licking their wounds in a. big way. Hammer UNLV and the probability of them handling Fresno State with ease inside their home arena.
Final Fresno State-UNLV Prediction & Pick: UNLV -9.5 (-106)
