The Boise State Broncos take on the UNLV Rebels. Our college basketball odds series has our Boise State UNLV prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Boise State UNLV.
This game is not easy to predict, because the Mountain West Conference is not easy to predict. We have seen all sorts of plot twists so far this season, and many more are likely headed our way in a deep, contentious, and very balanced league. The Mountain West has already dealt two losses to a New Mexico Lobo team which was the last unbeaten team in college basketball this season. UNLV dealt New Mexico that second loss, going into Albuquerque this past Saturday and coming out victorious.
UNLV is a puzzling team. The Rebels won their first 10 games of the season but then hit the skids. They lost to San Jose State and San Diego State to start Mountain West play, but then won at New Mexico. That's hard to understand, but then again, so is the Mountain West. Boise State lost at Nevada but has then beaten San Jose State in a topsy-turvy game and defeated Utah State. Every game is immensely important in a conference where there is little margin for error.
Here are the Boise State-UNLV college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: Boise State-UNLV Odds
Boise State Broncos: +1.5 (-110)
UNLV Rebels: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 136.5 (-106)
Under: 136.5 (-114)
How To Watch Boise State vs. UNLV
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: CBSSports.com
Time: 11:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Boise State-UNLV LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Boise State Could Cover The Spread
The UNLV Rebels are an up-and-down team right now, and the memory of their 10-game winning streak to start the season feels distant. It's true that UNLV won at New Mexico this past weekend, but that might be more a reflection of how mediocre the Lobos have been, and not how good UNLV is. New Mexico lost to Fresno State — one of the struggling teams in the Mountain West — a few days before the UNLV loss. New Mexico wasn't playing well heading into the UNLV game, so it's not as though the Rebels took down the Lobos at the height of their powers.
Boise State leads UNLV in the Mountain West standings. The Broncos have Marcus Shaver, a clutch shooter and scorer who is averaging over 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists for the season. In crunch time, Boise State knows it needs to get the ball to Shaver, whereas UNLV doesn't have that one takeover scorer who can rise above the moment late in a close game.
Why UNLV Could Cover The Spread
Boise State won two Mountain West home games but lost on the road at Nevada. Boise State has to prove itself on the road in Mountain West Conference play before being regarded as a top-tier team in the conference. UNLV did struggle a week ago, but the road win at New Mexico — against a team which was the last remaining unbeaten team in college basketball as of January 3 — could have turned around the Rebels' season. UNLV should be freshly confident and energized heading into this game. More importantly, the Rebels are learning how to take a punch after losing three games in short succession. This team went through a rough patch, but that seems to be in the past tense now.
Final Boise State-UNLV Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game. It feels like it could go in any of several directions. There's no really good angle on this one.
Final Boise State-UNLV Prediction & Pick: UNLV -1.5
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