Nevada vs. Utah State Odds
| Nevada Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | +550 |
| Utah State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | -800 |
Nevada goes back on the road after just one game at home, still looking to end its losing streak.
The Wolf Pack have now lost six in a row and have dropped to eighth in the Mountain West. During the stretch, they have also covered the spread just once, which they did against San Diego State as a 15-point underdog.
This will be the second time during their losing streak that they square off against the Aggies, who beat them, 78-49, on Jan. 29.
Utah State, meanwhile, had its five-game win streak finally come to an end in its last game against Wyoming. The Aggies played amazing against the Cowboys, going to overtime, but they eventually fell, 78-76.
The loss brought them to 6-6 in the conference, and with how good some teams have been in the Mountain West, Utah State is actually seventh.
Utah State leads the all time series 22-15, but it's just 10-8 at home and 5-5 in the last 10. Nevada hasn't won in Logan since February 2018, though.
Can the Aggies avoid falling below .500 Friday night as they take on the Pack?
Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada can't seem to get a break lately, as it's played much better during the last two games but still came up short of a win in both.
Against San Diego State, which is one of the best teams in the conference, it lost by just two as a 15-point underdog.
In its last game agains Colorado State, Desmond Cambridge Jr. lit it up for a career-high 36 points, but it still wasn't enough as it lost, 82-72.
The Nevada offense hasn't been bad; it actually ranks fifth in the Mountain West, averaging 72 points per game. It has three players inside the top 20 in the Mountain West for scoring, which is more than any other team.
The Pack are led by Grant Sherfield, who is averaging 17.9 points per game. Cambridge ranks 11th with 16.5, while Will Baker rounds out the trio at 19th, scoring 11.4 per contest.
But the Wolf Pack aren't a great shooting team, as they make just 32% of 3-point shots to rank 258th nationally. However, they have been effective when they get opportunities at the line, hitting 75.1% of free throws.
Defensively, the Wolfpack have struggled considerably.
Nevada ranks 309th in the country in scoring defense, allowing opposing teams to rack up 75.6 points per game. It's second-worst in the Mountain West as well when it comes to scoring defense.
It has, however, had some success around the basket. Nevada ranks 83rd in block percentage.
Utah State Aggies
The Aggies offense has been one of the most efficient in the country. Ranked 18th when it comes to effective field goal percentage they are hitting at 55.3%. They are also one of the best 2-point shooting teams in the country at sixth nationally.
Utah State is led by Justin Bean, who ranks sixth in the Mountain West in scoring, averaging 18.5 points per game. Bean also sits second-best in the conference when it comes to shooting percentage, posting a field goal percentage of 56.7%.
The Aggies offense should thrive against a Nevada defense that is outside the top 250 when it comes to effective FG% and ranks 249th in 2-point defense.
They are slightly worse than the Wolf Pack when it comes to free-throw shooting, but I don't think that's significant enough to make a sizable difference in this game.
At the defensive end, Utah State hasn't been bad when compared to the rest of Division I. But in the Mountain West, it's in the bottom half of defenses, allowing teams to post 67.2 points per game.
But even with their ranking in the Mountain West, I think the Aggies will limit the Wolf Pack, who have issues at both ends of the floor.
Nevada vs. Utah State Betting Pick
Utah State is a lot better than its record reflects. And while I don't think Nevada will be a serious threat to beat the Aggies, this number is high in my opinion.
With each passing loss, Nevada is getting more and more desperate to win a game. It took San Diego State down to the wire, and Cambridge did all he could in the last game.
The Aggies also travel to San Diego State for their next game and could get caught looking ahead. Because of that, I would back Nevada catching 10 points or more.
