It will be a battle between Mountain West opponents when the Nevada Wolf Pack (18-11) welcome the New Mexico Lobos (16-14) to Lawlor Events Center. Action begins at 10:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and will air on RT.
The Wolf Pack are hoping to rebound after their 76-57 loss to Boise State on Wednesday. Lindsey Drew had a solid performance, contributing eight points, eight rebounds, and three steals for Nevada. The Lobos, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 83-56 loss to San Diego State on Tuesday. Tim Williams played well for New Mexico, registering 11 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Lobos winning the first matchup 88-76. Despite the loss, Marqueze Coleman had a standout performance with 26 points, one rebound, five assists, and five steals.
The Wolf Pack enter the game with records of 18-11 Straight Up (SU) and 14-13 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Wolf Pack are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting a superb .734 from the free throw line. The rebounding edge goes to the Wolf Pack in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 41.4 boards per game. Nevada’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 79.7 during that span, compared to its 72.0 season average. The Wolf Pack prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 44th in the nation with 202 total three-pointers allowed (6.0 per game).
As for their opponent, New Mexico has a SU record of 16-13 and an ATS record of 14-13. Most recently, New Mexico is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. The Lobos convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 41st in the nation at .737. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Lobos have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .423.
New Mexico won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 5-1. Additionally, New Mexico holds the advantage ATS with a record of 4-1-1. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Nevada, ATS Winner – Nevada
Notes
Nevada averages 75.8 points per game (ranked 100th). New Mexico, on the other hand, allows 73.9 points per game (ranked 186th).
New Mexico scores 73.4 points per away game (ranked 81st). Nevada ranks a poor 146th in points allowed at home, allowing 69.3 points.
The New Mexico Lobos have a defensive rating of 103.6 (ranked 52nd), while the Nevada Wolf Pack have an offensive rating of 103.1 (ranked 230th).
Nevada averages 73.5 possessions per game, scoring 1.031 points on each possession. While New Mexico averages fewer possessions per game with 72.3, they score more points per possession with 1.060.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average an effective field goal percentage of 46.3% this season. The New Mexico Lobos have a losing record of 5-11 when opponents have an eFG% of 46.3% or greater.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average 17.0 three point attempts per game, while the New Mexico Lobos attempt 16.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, Nevada is 4-6, while New Mexico has a split 4-4 record.
Nevada, the fifth-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.8 per game. New Mexico ranks 97th with 4.1.
Nevada ranks 53rd in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, New Mexico ranks 79th.
The Nevada Wolf Pack make an average of 7.3 steals per game. The New Mexico Lobos are 10-9 when they allow 7 or more steals.
