Nevada vs UNLV Prediction 1/30/26 College Basketball Picks Today

The UNLV Rebels and the Nevada Wolf Pack meet Friday in college basketball action from Lawlor Events Center in Reno. Here’s a Nevada vs UNLV Prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Nevada vs UNLV pick.

UNLV Rebels Betting Preview

UNLV kicked things off by posting a 4-6 run over their first 10 games of the season, taking out only Chattanooga, Memphis, Saint Joseph’s and Stanford. The next nine games were a better 6-3 stretch though, featuring wins over Fresno State, La Sierra, Air Force, Boise State, San Jose State and Utah State in that time. Over the first 19 games of the year the Rebels managed a 10-9 run.

On Tuesday versus New Mexico, the Rebels were in trouble at the break, sporting a 41-22 deficit on home turf. UNLV didn’t end up getting any closer in the second half, riding a 48-39 deficit from there on the way to a blowout loss 89-61. Nobody on the team managed to score in double-digits, but Naas Cunningham and Issac Williamson each got close with nine points apiece.

Nevada Wolf Pack Betting Preview

Over on the Nevada side, they posted a rocky 4-3 run in their first seven games, then beat San Francisco, UC San Diego, Washington State, Duquesne, Boise State, Colorado State and Fresno State in the next seven. A 3-3 run came over the ensuing six games, with losses to San Diego State, Utah State and New Mexico. That would give the Wolf Pack a 14-6 record in their first 20 outings.

Matched up against Grand Canyon on Tuesday, the Wolf Pack held a slim two-point lead as they went into the second half. Nevada was outscored by two from there and had to go to overtime. Eventually the Wolf Pack emerged victorious on their home court with a 66-60 finish. Chuck Bailey topped the team with his 18 points, four rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes of action.

Why the Nevada Wolf Pack will win

• Nevada has won seven of its last eight games at Lawlor Events Center.
• UNLV has lost seven of its last eight night games at Lawlor Events Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• The home team has won the first half in seven of the last eight games between UNLV and Nevada.

Why the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels will win

• The road team has won each of UNLV’s last four games.
• Nevada has lost three of its last four games following an overtime win.
• The road team has won the first half in three of UNLV’s last four games.

UNLV vs Nevada Prediction

I’ll lean toward Nevada, but this one’s a coin flip. The Wolf Pack dispatched a good Grand Canyon squad in a home matchup this week, however it wasn’t easy. Nevada hit just 32.8 percent from the field with 65.4 percent (17-of-26) from the line and a 30-18 deficit on points in the paint. The Wolf Pack did have a slight advantage on rebounding 36-35 though, and shot 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from outside with just eight turnovers. Nevada has won three of the last four games, scoring 81 or more points in two of those three victories.

As for UNLV, they got blasted by a good New Mexico squad in their latest home game this week. The Rebels shot just 37.3 percent from the field and 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from outside in that one, alongside 15 turnovers and a 44-34 deficit on points in the paint. UNLV has lost consecutive games now, but they had won three straight prior to that. I like this matchup to be close most of the way, with Nevada eking out a home cover in the end.