The San Diego State Aztecs and the UNLV Rebels meet Thursday in the college basketball Mountain West Tournament Quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a San Diego State vs. UNLV prediction.
San Diego State Team Preview
The San Diego State Aztecs come into the conference tournament as the 5-seed, finishing the year at 22-9 overall and 11-7 in conference play. Jaedon LeDee leads the Aztecs in scoring and rebounding with 20.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG while Reese Waters has 10.5 PPG with 3.8 RPG to cap off the scoring in double figures for San Diego State up to this point in the year. Micah Parrish has 9.7 PPG with 4 RPG while Lamont Butler has 9 PPG with a team-high 2.9 APG to lead the Aztecs in assists this season. As a team, San Diego State is averaging 74.7 PPG on 44.5% shooting from the field, 31.6% from three and 73.6% from the foul line this season.
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UNLV Team Preview
The UNLV Rebels come into the conference tournament as the 4-seed, finishing the year 19-11 overall including a 12-6 mark in conference play. Dedan Thomas Jr. leads the Rebels in scoring and assists with 13.6 PPG and 5.2 APG while Keylan Boone has 12.2 PPG with 6.5 RPG. Kalib Boone has 11.5 PPG with 5.4 RPG and Luis Rodriguez has 11 PPG with a team-high 6.6 RPG to lead the Rebels on the glass. Jalen Hill has 10.7 PPG with 6.1 RPG in 7 games, rounding out the scoring in double figures for UNLV up to this point in the year. As a team, UNLV is averaging 73.3 PPG on 46% shooting from the field, 33.2% from behind the arc and 72.3% from the foul line this season.
San Diego State vs. UNLV Prediction
I’m on UNLV here. I get why the Aztecs are worth the look in this game as this is the defending national runners up and San Diego State is always a team built for tournament play. However, the Rebels came into the tournament on fire and need this win far more than San Diego State, who are well into the tournament field. San Diego State’s been a different team away from home this season and in a matchup where I think points will be at a premium, I want them in my back pocket. Give me UNLV here.