UNLV vs Cal Irvine Prediction 3/17/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a UNLV vs UC Irvine Prediction for this NIT 1st Round matchup on Tuesday, March 17th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this college basketball matchup.

UC Irvine Anteaters Preview

The UC Irvine Anteaters have a 23-11 overall record and a 15-5 record in the Big West conference. They are coming off a 71-64 loss against Hawaii and their previous three games were a 93-78 win against Cal State Northridge, a 79-69 win against UC Davis and a 107-85 win against Cal Poly.

Offensively, UC Irvine averages 77.4 points per game, while allowing 67.8 points per game defensively. The Anteaters shoot with 46% from the field and grab 40.4 rebounds per game, while dishing out 16.1 assists per game. They average 5.9 blocks per game and 7.8 steals per game defensively.

Jurian Dixon leads UC Irvine in scoring, with an average of 16 points per game, while shooting with 43.4% from the field and 78.8% from the free throw line. Kyle Evans is the team’s leading rebounder with 8.5 per game. Tama Isaac leads the team in assists with 3.9 per game.

UNLV Rebels Preview

The UNLV Rebels have a 17-16 overall record and an 11-9 record in the Mountain West conference. They are coming off an 80-60 loss against Utah State and their previous three games were a 73-70 win against Wyoming, an 89-86 loss against San Diego State and a 92-65 win against Utah State.

Offensively, UNLV averages 79.4 points per game, while allowing 72.9 points per game defensively. The Rebels shoot with 47% from the field and grab 35 rebounds per game, while dishing out 14.2 assists per game. They average 4.8 blocks per game and 7.6 steals per game defensively.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn leads UNLV in scoring, with an average of 20.7 points per game, while shooting with 49.8% from the field and 85.6% from the free throw line. Howie Fleming Jr. is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.3 per game, adding a team-high 3.7 assists.

UNLV vs UC Irvine Prediction

In this UNLV vs UC Irvine Prediction, UC Irvine is coming as -3 favorites. UC Irvine has been the better team this season and have a better ATS record. They are 7-2 both straight up and against the spread in their last 9 games, while UNLV has lost two of its last three games and their defense has been shaky at best lately, having allowed 80+ points in six of their last nine games. On the flip side, UC Irvine’s defense has been far better this season and I expect them to take care of business in this matchup and cover the spread.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: UC Irvine -2