Two Major NCAAM BBall Games Out West
Looking for some exciting and winnable mid-week action? Look no further than NCAA men’s hoops. There are several big games on today’s slate and two of them are out west, as No. 24 UNLV visits Albuquerque to take on No. 25 New Mexico, while Washington will make a trip down to Berkeley to square off with Cal. You won’t want to miss these two games and you especially won’t want to miss out on betting the spreads. Here’s a little breakdown of each contest.
#24 UNLV+2.5 at #25 New Mexico -2
Coming off impressive NCAA tournament appearances a year ago, these two Mountain West powers are looking as good as ever coming into this early season matchup. Both squads are 13-2 on the season and both are ranked, so on paper, it appears we are going to have an intense and closely fought battle on our hands today.
The Lobos got the better of the Rebels a year ago, winning two out of the three meetings in the annual rivalry, including one in the conference tournament. However, this year the Rebels have a not-so-secret weapon in freshman Anthony Bennett, who is leading the conference in scoring in just his first year at the Division I level. The Rebels also figure to match up better with the Lobos this time around considering they lead the conference in opponents’ shooting percentage, holding teams to just 37.6%, while New Mexico owns the second worst team shooting percentage in the MWC at 41.3%.
Although the Lobos are the favorite at home, I like the Rebels here. They have vastly improved, while the Lobos have not. Take UNLV to cover +2.5 on the road today and to win outright on the moneyline.
The Bears should win outright, but expect a close shave
Washington +7 at Cal -6.5
These teams may be both currently unranked, but that won’t take away from the intensity they will bring to this heated early Pac-12 clash. Like with the first game on today’s list, these teams boast identical 9-5 records, so expect a close one in Berkeley today.
The Huskies come in as winners of seven of their last nine–a nice stretch that includes a win over in-state rival Washington State on Jan. 5. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears have slipped a bit recently, dropping two of their last three, although they did manage a nice victory against USC on Jan.5.
Statistically speaking, these two matchup very evenly too, as Cal averages just one point more per game and shoots a slightly better percentage from the field. The home court advantage should be enough of an edge for the Bears to earn the W, but expect a very close game, one in which Washington covers +7 points in the loss.
