by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023
Time: 11 p.m. ET
Venue: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
Where to watch: CBS Sports Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
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Season record
Utah State: 22-7 (11-5 Mountain West)
UNLV: 17-11 (6-10 Mountain West)
February is here and the college basketball season is taking full shape. Conference races still to be determined, the top 25 completely in shambles for what seems like every week, and there's bound to be an upset what seems like every single week. But as the season continues to progress with what seems like exciting action every week, you know our champion handicappers continue to put the work in each and every week to not only make money for them, but to ensure you get money in your pocket. All you need to do is look at the last 30 days. Scott Rickenbach has reeled in a net profit of $14,000 with a 24-9-0 run on the college hardwood. Team Del Genio has killed it with a 13-1-0 run at +$11,900. Will Rogers (28-15-0) and Matt Fargo (40-27-0) have also seen five figures over the last 30 days with college basketball. Surely, you want to get on this winning as well. All you need to do is go to bigal.com, check out our Best Bets page and make sure you are following along on the action. March will be here before you know it! Take advantage of our best plays and find out what our champion handicappers are doing at bigal.com!
Utah State - UNLV preview, prediction and analysis
I try to give the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels any hinderance of doubt as it pertains to how this season is going to end, but it just makes me want to drive my head into a table and be done with such things. Instead, we move forward with UNLV’s senior night on Wednesday when they host the Utah State Aggies at Thomas & Mack Center.
The Runnin’ Rebels are coming off a 54-53 win over Air Force to end a three-game losing streak. I’d tell you this was impressive, but Air Force is not the jumpshot making team it once was last decade and UNLV is not as good as they used to be, so it was a combination of everything bad and we somehow ended up in this game.
E.J. Harkless was the only lad to make a basket for UNLV, scoring a game-high 23 points including the game-winning put back with one second remaining to give UNLV the victory. And if you were wondering, yes, he was the only player to score in double figures because 23 is almost half of 54.
“It’s amazing,” sophomore forward Shane Nowell said of Harkless. “He’s a leader for this group, and it really showed today through the way he played in the second half, really coming through.”
UNLV entered has 8.5-point favorites over Air Force and of course failed to cover for the third time in four games. They did cover in the 73-69 loss to Boise State on Feb. 19, but nothing else after that. This is a team that is hanging on by a thread for some sort of relevancy, and it won’t seem to matter if they host the conference tournament. At least the Lady Rebels are killing it.
“When you play a team like Air Force, a six- or seven-point lead feels like 12 or 13,” UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger said. “Those types of games can get away from you pretty quick.”
Meanwhile, Utah State is gearing up for a potential NCAA Tournament run now with 22 wins, including three straight heading into this one. The Aggies are coming off a 65-55 win at Wyoming following two impressive wins at home against Air Force and Nevada-Reno.
Steven Ashworth led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds, and Dan Akin had 11 points as the only Aggies who scored in double figures. Utah State shot 41 percent and just 7 of 27 from 3-point range. If not for Ashworth, they likely lose that game.
Utah State has covered in six of its last eight games, including the last three in a row. They’ve been favored in all eight of those games, and it should be no exception that they are favored in this one.
Prediction
Would like to think UNLV finds a way to keep this close considering they are at home and they don’t want to let their fans down, but they’ve been letting fans down for more than a decade, so why change now? Utah State 77, UNLV 68
Betting trends
Check back later for trends.
Projected starting lineup
Utah State:
PG: Steven Ashworth
SG: Max Shulga
SF: Sean Bairstow
PF: Taylor Funk
C: Daniel Akin
UNLV:
PG: E.J. Harkless
SG: Justin Webster
SF: Keshon Gilbert
PF: Elijah Parquet
C: Victor Iwuakor
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Utah State Aggies - UNLV Runnin' Rebels prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college basketball projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
