UNLV vs Colorado State Prediction 1/9/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The UNLV Rebels and the Colorado State Rams meet Friday in college basketball action from Moby Arena in Fort Collins. Here’s a UNLV vs Colorado State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best UNLV vs Colorado State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

UNLV Rebels Betting Preview

UNLV didn’t open the season on a great clip, losing six of their first 10 games. Those defeats came courtesy of Tennessee-Martin, Montana, Maryland, Alabama, Rutgers and Tennessee State. The good news is that the Rebels would hit a win streak after that, taking out Fresno State, La Sierra and Air Force in the next three games. In 13 outings that would give UNLV a 7-6 overall run.

On Tuesday in the Wyoming game, the Rebels entered the second half with a rough 48-26 deficit. UNLV didn’t end up getting any closer on a 50-40 run from there and lost 98-66 in the end. Leading the team was Kimani Hamilton with 19 points and six rebounds. Tyrin Jones added 16 points and eight boards while Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn had 10 points with two assists in the losing effort for UNLV.

Colorado State Rams Betting Preview

Over on the Colorado State side, they won their first four straight games before taking losses to Denver and Virginia Tech. The Rams would take wins versus Wichita State, South Florida, Colorado, Dartmouth and Northern New Mexico before losses to Utah State and Nevada in the next pair. After another win over Grand Canyon, the Rams were sitting at 10-4 in their first 14 games.

Matched up against New Mexico on Tuesday the Rams were down by nine points going into the second half. Colorado State got slightly better from there on a 41-40 advantage and took the loss in the end 80-70. Augustinas Kiudulas was tops on 20 points with four rebounds and Jase Butler added 14 points with five rebounds. Brandon Rechsteiner had 13 points with five assists in the loss.

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels @ Colorado State Rams Betting Trends: January 9, 2026

Why the Colorado State Rams will win

• Colorado State has won 28 of its last 33 night games at Moby Arena.
• UNLV has lost each of its last three night games against Conference opponents.
• The home team has won the first half in each of UNLV’s last three games.

Why the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels will win

• UNLV has won three of its last four games.
• Colorado State has lost three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Colorado State has lost the first half in three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

UNLV vs Colorado State Prediction

I’ll stick with Colorado State, but it’s a coin flip. Both these teams could use good outings here though, as they’re each coming off a rough loss to a solid team. The Rams shot 45.8 percent from the field in their 10-point loss at home to New Mexico, posting 11 turnovers and 52.8 percent shooting allowed on defense. Colorado State has now lost three of their last four games, giving up 75 or more points in each of those defeats. The Rams defense really needs a shot in the arm.

As for UNLV, they got blitzed by a good Wyoming team this week. The Rebels shot just 37.5 percent from the field while giving up 55 percent on the other side while getting outmuscled on the boards 41-27 and in the paint 46-26. The 20 of 45 missed free throws (55.6 percent) didn’t help matters either. UNLV hasn’t reached 68 points in either of the last two outings (a 1-1 run) but they should have plenty of scoring opportunities here.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Colorado State Rams -6.5