College basketball betting: BYU Cougars vs. UNLV Rebels
by Mike Rose
Wrap up your college basketball betting night on Friday and kick off your weekend right with a Mountain West showdown between the Brigham Young Cougars and the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.
Both of these teams scored wins in the MWC Tourney yesterday without beating the college basketball betting line. BYU took out TCU 95-85, while UNLV ended Utah's season 73-61.
The win was the fifth straight for the Rebels, who most likely cemented their spot in the top half of the NCAA Tournament bracket for next week. BYU still has its sight set on a Top-4 seed and preferential treatment in regards to location for its first two tourney games, but it'll require at least a win here against UNLV in Sin City to get the job done.
BYU Cougars (29-4, 18-12 ATS) vs. UNLV Rebels (24-7, 18-11 ATS)
College Basketball Odds:
BYU Cougars PK -110
UNLV Rebels PK -110
Game Total 146
Run, run, run as fast as you can! That's the motto for BYU, which has scored an average of 88.0 points per game in its L/8 after dropping 202 combined points in two games against the Horned Frogs over the L/6 days.
F Jimmer Fredette is coming off of one of the best games of his collegiate career on Thursday. He shot 10/23 from the field and just 2/10 from beyond the arc, but his whopping 23/24 from the charity stripe propelled him to a simply awesome 45-point effort against the Horned Frogs.
Fredette is leading the team in scoring at 21.4 points per game, but the monster game against Texas Christian was just his first game over 20 points since February 24th.
In spite of the fact that the Utes shot 31/36 from the charity stripe, UNLV held them to just 32.5 percent shooting to lead it to victory on Thursday night in Las Vegas. F Anthony Marshall recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards.
It was a relatively quiet night for G Tre'Von Willis, who only put up 13. That dropped his scoring average to 17.7 points per game, which still easily leads the squad.
UNLV plays fantastic defense, and at times can just be downright nasty. The Rebels only allow 63.8 points per game, which is good enough to be ranked 62nd in college basketball. However, they've already conceded 151 points in two games to the Cougars, and can't only count on the 'D' getting it done in this game in all likelihood.
College Basketball Insider Betting Tip: The favorite is 7-3 ATS in the L/10 college basketball betting battles between these divisional rivals.
The Rebels cashed in an 88-74 win at home against BYU on February 6th which most likely guaranteed their slot in the dance, making them a solid 6-2 ATS in their L/8 tries against the Cougars.
BYU has a talented team and can score at will, but especially considering the fact that this is being played in UNLV's backyard at the Thomas & Mack Center, it's hard not to like the Rebs' chances of moving on to the MWC Finale, where they will face either New Mexico or San Diego State tomorrow.
My College Basketball Prediction: UNLV by 3
