It will be a battle between Mountain West opponents when the New Mexico Lobos (13-8) welcome the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (13-9) to WisePies Arena. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and will air on CCS.
The Lobos were victorious over Boise State 88-83 on Saturday. Elijah Brown led all scorers on the team with 30 points on 7-for-15 shooting. The Runnin’ Rebels, meanwhile, are coming off a 67-52 loss to San Diego State on Saturday. Stephen Zimmerman Jr. had a solid game, accumulating his ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
It could be a sloppy game for the Lobos offense, which ranks 331st in the nation in ball protection (TO% of 21.5%). They’ll be facing the gambling UNLV defense, which forces the 23rd-most turnovers in the nation (22.3%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Runnin’ Rebels won the first game 86-74. Brown had a double-double in the defeat with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
New Mexico, a three-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against UNLV. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 150 points. The Lobos enter the game with records of 13-8 Straight Up (SU) and 11-7 Against The Spread (ATS). New Mexico is excellent from the perimeter, shooting a superb .380 from three-point range.
On the other side, the Runnin’ Rebels head into the game with records of 11-10 ATS and 13-9 SU. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Runnin’ Rebels, who are 39th in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 124 this season. They average 8.3 steals per game, good for 22nd in the nation.
UNLV beat New Mexico in their most recent meeting this season, but New Mexico still leads the head-to-head record, 6-4 SU, over their most recent matchups. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, New Mexico has the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, New Mexico held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. UNLV never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – UNLV, ATS Winner – UNLV, O/U – Over
Notes
New Mexico is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Mexico’s last 7 games at home.
New Mexico is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Mexico’s last 5 games when playing UNLV.
New Mexico is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against UNLV.
The New Mexico Lobos average 77.9 points per game, ranking 83rd in the nation. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels rank 73rd in points allowed with 67.0.
The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels have a defensive rating of 93.2 (ranked 16th), while the New Mexico Lobos have an offensive rating of 107.1 (ranked 138th).
The New Mexico Lobos have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 21st in the nation with a FG% of 48.4%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels are winless with a 0-1 record.
The New Mexico Lobos and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. New Mexico is 36th and 21st in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while UNLV ranks 132nd and 111th in these categories.
New Mexico ranks 85th in assists, recording 15.0 per game. UNLV ranks 76th with 15.3 assists per game.
UNLV ranks 120th in offensive rebounds, while New Mexico ranks at 53rd in defensive rebounds.
UNLV is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TO% of 22.3% (ranked 23rd). New Mexico is an even 5-5 SU when it has a TO% of 22.3% or greater.
