UNLV (9-7) vs Utah State (16-1)
Game Info: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 11:00 pm (Thomas & Mack Center)
The Line: Betting Odds: UNLV +4.5 — Over/Under: 148.5
The Utah State Aggies and the UNLV Rebels meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Thomas & Mack Center. Here’s a Utah State vs UNLV prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Utah State vs UNLV pick. We will examine:
The Utah State Aggies’ recent form and player performance
The UNLV Rebels’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Utah State Aggies
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the UNLV Rebels
Recent betting trends in games played between Utah State and UNLV
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Utah State vs UNLV game
Utah State Aggies Betting Preview
The Aggies opened up the year on an excellent run, and following their lone blemish last month it’s been another flawless stretch of games. Utah State went 10-0 right out of the gate, taking wins over Alcorn State, Charlotte, Westminster UT, Montana, Iowa, St. Bonaventure, North Texas, Wyoming, Utah Tech, and South Florida in succession during that time. Following their lone loss (so far) versus UC San Diego back on December 17, the Aggies have since won six straight. Those victories have come versus Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, Nevada, Fresno State, San Jose State, and Boise State in succession for a 16-1 overall record so far this year.
In the Boise State matchup on Saturday, the Aggies entered the second half holding a 38-34 deficit. Utah State fought back on a 47-41 run the rest of the way and eked out a close one 81-79 by the game’s end. Leading the scoring was Ian Martinez with 18 points, three boards, and three assists. Deyton Albury added 14 points with two rebounds, and Drake Allen had 13 points with four assists in 23 minutes of action off the bench.
UNLV Rebels Betting Preview
Over on the Rebels’ side, their year has been pretty choppy so far with great stretches mixed among sketchy runs. UNLV went 4-1 in their first five with a lone loss to Memphis among wins versus Alabama State, Omaha, Pepperdine, and New Mexico State. A 1-4 stretch came after that with a win over Pacific mixed with losses to Mississippi State, Northwestern, Creighton, and Dayton. After four straight wins versus UC Riverside, Fresno State, Air Force, and San Jose State, the Rebels have since lost to Boise State and Colorado State for a 9-7 run so far.
Matched up against the Rams over the weekend, the Rebels came out of halftime sporting a 46-35 deficit. UNLV didn’t get any closer than that on a 38-27 second half and lost big 84-62. Both Jaden Henley and Dedan Thomas scored a team-high 19 points apiece in the blowout, combining for five rebounds and seven assists between them. Leading bench scorer Jailen Bedford added five points with eight rebounds, two steals, and one assist in 28 minutes.
Why the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels will win
- UNLV has won each of its last six games at Thomas & Mack Center.
- Utah State has lost the first half in four of its last five games against Conference opponents.
Why the Utah State Aggies will win
- Utah State has won 16 of its last 17 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- UNLV has lost the first half in 10 of its last 13 night games against AP-ranked opponents.
Utah State vs UNLV Prediction
I’ll stick with Utah State. The Aggies are coming off a nice effort versus a good Boise State team in their last game, but there’s still plenty to clean up. Utah State shot an excellent 61.2 percent from the field in that one, but also got outmuscled on the boards 30-24 and shot a dismal 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) from the line. During this current six-game win streak, the Aggies have hit 67 or more points in each game with 75 or more in four of them. The trouble is, Utah State has given up 78 or more points in three straight outings.
As for UNLV, they were demolished by a pretty good Colorado State team in their last game, giving up 56.6 percent shooting with a 35-28 rebounding deficit. The Rebels have scored just 121 combined points over their last two games (both losses), so I’m not jazzed about their prospects cover-wise in this one.