It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Memphis-UNLV prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Memphis-UNLV.
This college basketball weekend has a number of big clashes. Memphis-Vegas isn't quite a blue-blood battle of elites, but these are two proud basketball schools which have both reached college basketball's national championship game. Both fan bases ache for top-tier college basketball relevance. Memphis memorably reached the national championship game in 2008 and very nearly won, but late free throw misses plus a big three by Kansas's Mario Chalmers caused a historic victory to slip through Memphis's fingers. That 2008 title game came one year after UNLV made its last appearance in the Sweet 16. Lon Kruger was the coach who guided the Rebels to the Sweet 16 in 2007. Now, Lon's son Kevin is guiding the Rebels. Kevin Kruger has struggled to find the magic his father was able to find. Fans are reasonably growing impatient with Kruger, who has not turned the corner and has presided over a generally stagnant UNLV program. If this season doesn't produce any significant achievements, it will be hard to wonder if Kruger will ever figure out the UNLV job.
The outlook is slightly better — but not that much better — for Penny Hardaway at Memphis. While Hardaway has at least made NCAA Tournament appearances and has won a March Madness game, Memphis has still existed well below the John Calipari standard. Being a Sweet 16-level program with a chance to make the Final Four is where Memphis expects to be as a program. Penny has not been able to lift the Tigers to that height. As time goes by and Memphis fails to become a top-tier team in college hoops, the grumbling surrounding Penny's stormy and volatile tenure only gets louder.
Both Memphis and UNLV badly need to win this game. A victory sets up the rest of November and offers plenty of cause for optimism at a time when both programs need to feel good about themselves. A win doesn't solve everything, but it would represent the avoidance of a very damaging gut-punch loss which neither coach can afford under the current circumstances.
Here are the Memphis-UNLV College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Memphis-UNLV Odds
Memphis: -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -120
UNLV: +1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +100
Over: 149.5 (-110)
Under: 149.5 (-110)
How to Watch Memphis vs UNLV
Time: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
TV: Mountain West Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Memphis Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Tigers trailed Missouri in the first half and did not get off to a good start earlier this week, but they rallied and played very good basketball in the second half to win. The fact that Memphis won was important enough in its own right, but the larger reality of struggling and then recovering — showing poise in the face of adversity — should give this team a huge extra dose of confidence. Knowing how to take a punch is an important part of a team's growth process. Memphis grew up a lot against Missouri and will now be in better position to respond well to negative in-game trends versus UNLV.
Why UNLV Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Rebels are at home, and they know that Memphis has a reputation for being wildly inconsistent. Memphis's inconsistency was on display in the Missouri game. This time, if the Tigers get off to yet another slow start, they might not recover. Memphis tempted fate versus Missouri. If UM continues to wobble, UNLV — playing at home — could take advantage.
Final Memphis-UNLV Prediction & Pick
We don't have a clear, firm idea of what these two teams are. We think you should stay away from this game.
Final Memphis-UNLV Prediction & Pick: Memphis -1.5
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