The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels will be at Clune Arena to square off against the Air Force Falcons in a Mountain West matchup. Action starts at 9:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and will air on CCS.
The Falcons are hoping for a better outcome after their 70-61 loss to San Diego State on Saturday. Hayden Graham played well for Air Force, recording 17 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. The Runnin’ Rebels, meanwhile, are coming off an 87-80 win against Colorado State on Saturday. Patrick McCaw was the game’s top scorer, accumulating 20 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
The Falcons might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Runnin’ Rebels rank 21st in defensive efficiency, while Air Force ranks 305th in offensive efficiency.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Runnin’ Rebels winning the first matchup 100-64. Derrick Jones Jr. played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The Falcons have gone 12-14 Straight Up (SU) and 9-11 Against The Spread (ATS). The Falcons have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 80.6 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 66.6 points per game.
On the other side, UNLV has a SU record of 15-11 and an ATS record of 12-13. During the last 10 games, they averaged 61.1 PPG, below their 77.3 PPG season average. Shifting to the other side of the court, they average 8.3 steals per game, good for 17th in the nation.
UNLV beat Air Force in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against Air Force to 7-3 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. At 5-5, they are even ATS. UNLV has held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) two times over the last five matchups, while Air Force accomplished this once.
Predictions: SU Winner – UNLV, ATS Winner – UNLV
Notes
UNLV averages 77.3 points per game (ranked 75th). Air Force, on the other hand, allows 71.0 points per game (ranked 133rd).
The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels have a defensive rating of 94.9 (ranked 21st), while the Air Force Falcons have an offensive rating of 97.7 (ranked 305th).
Air Force has an average field goal percentage of 42.1%. UNLV is an even 6-6 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Air Force Falcons and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Air Force is 283rd and 271st in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while UNLV ranks 179th and 173rd in these categories.
UNLV ranks 85th in assists, recording 15.0 per game. Air Force performs worse at 205th with 13.0 assists per game.
UNLV, the 58th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.9 rebounds per game. Air Force does worse, ranked 265th with 34.7.
UNLV records 8.3 steals per game (ranked 17th). Air Force is 6-4 when allowing at least 8 steals.
