Wyoming vs. UNLV Odds
| Wyoming Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | +102 |
| UNLV Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 139.5 -110o / -110u | -122 |
After keeping it close but falling short at home against San Diego State on Monday, Wyoming hits the road to face UNLV in Wednesday's matchup. It will be the third of four games in seven days for the Cowboys that wraps up the Mountain West regular season.
However, there's much more at stake for the visitors than just conference tournament seeding. Wyoming, currently second in the Mountain West with just a one-game lead over the third-place team, plays the fifth and sixth-ranked teams to end their regular season. Joe Lunardi currently projects Wyoming to be a No. 9 seed in the East for the NCAA Tournament, but he projects four Mountain West teams to make the tournament.
As a High Major conference, the Mountain West getting four teams in the tournament would be wildly impressive. However, trading wins and losses between each other is a dangerous game that could leave some on the outside looking in.
UNLV is one of the programs as far as the NCAA Tournament goes but that could change with a win over Wyoming, which is 45th in the NET rankings. Still, the Cowboys would need at the very least a strong run in the conference tournament, but this is a potential Quad two win for the Rebels. And let's not forget to mention the massive boast of confidence they would gain heading into the conference tournament.
So, can UNLV improve its résumé at home?
Wyoming Cowboys
Wyoming gave everything it had against San Diego State. Hunter Maldonado played a full 40 minutes, during which he recorded a triple-double. While Graham Ike contributed a double-double, two other Cowboys tacked on 10-plus points. However, it just wasn't enough as San Diego State pulled away in the final minute in a 73-66 win for the Cowboys' first home loss of the season.
There's no time for head coach Jeff Linder and his team to worry about that now, though. Wyoming has to focus on defending their second-place spot in the Mountain West.
Wyoming is one of the better offensive teams in the conference, ranked third in overall scoring. They are led by Ike, who is second in the conference in points per game. The Cowboys have had issues when it comes to second-chance shots, specifically giving themselves more scoring opportunities. The Cowboys are 308th in the country in offensive rebounds per game.
And while UNLV has been known for its defense throughout the year, Wyoming isn't far off. I think they can be just as competitive on the defensive end as the Rebels. Something that might be even more important is how slow paced these two play, which might be the slowest teams in the entire conference other than Nevada and New Mexico.
UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Conference-leading scorer Bryce Hamilton has only gotten better as the season has gone on. And as he's improved, so has the UNLV offense as a whole. Hamilton averages 21.8 points per game and ranks third in three-point percentage in the Mountain West.
UNLV started the year with a solid defense and has only gotten better on offense. Not to mention in this specific matchup, but the Rebels are a much more experienced team than the Cowboys. UNLV ranks eighth in the country in experience, but even with all this, I still don't know if it's enough to get back on track after their loss to Boise.
Wyoming vs. UNLV Betting Pick
UNLV is second in the Mountain West and 78th in the country in 3-pointers per game. However, I think that's something Wyoming will be able to significantly limit. The Cowboys hold opposing teams to just 33% from deep.
Wyoming has also been the 12th-best team in college basketball when it comes to drawing fouls. Opponents average 19.8 fouls against the Cowboys, which is bad news for a Rebels team who post 17.9 fouls per contest.
Yes, the Rebels have a stout defense and will slow down the Cowboys' offense. Yet, Wyoming's defense is right in line with the UNLV side and its ability to limit the three matches up well against a team that relies so heavily on it.
Both programs are coming off of losses and fighting for their place in the postseason. However, at the end of the day, I think Wyoming is the better and gets it done here on the road.
