Bet On NCAA Basketball: #11 Buffaloes vs #6 Runnin’ Rebels
The PAC 12 Conference Tournament Champion Colorado Buffaloes will take on the UNLV Rebels in New Mexico on Thursday night.
NCAA Tournament Matchup: Colorado vs. UNLV
South Region
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Time/TV: 9:57 PM EST on truTV
College Basketball Gambling Odds from Bovada
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: UNLV -5.5
Over/Under: 134
Tad Boyle has done a great job with the Buffaloes program. UNLV is back to running like they did in the old days, but can they have the same kind of tournament success?
Let’s take a quick look at this tournament matchup.
Colorado narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament, and they likely would have seen their bubble burst again this year if they hadn’t taken matters into their own hands and won the PAC 12 Tournament. Utah transfer Carlon Brown has provided some veteran leadership for Colorado this year.
Brown averages 12.6 points per game. Sophomore Andre Roberson averages 11.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He has also racked up 64 blocked shots already this year. Four players average double figures in scoring for Colorado, so this is a well-balanced offense.
The primary reason this team made a nice run at the end of the year was their defense. Opponents shoot just 40.4% against the Buffaloes.
UNLV showed what they are capable of when they knocked off North Carolina earlier this year.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
Ironically, the top two scorers on this team are both transfers from UCLA. Mike Moser was the Mountain West Player of the Year. Moser averages 14.1 points and 10.6 boards per game.
The 6’8 forward also led the team in steals with 62. Chace Stanback averages 12.7 points per game, and he is the team’s best three-point shooter at 46.4%.
Oscar Bellfield and Anthony Marshall are great distributors from the point guard spot. Both of them do a great job leading the fast break, and that is where UNLV is most dangerous.
UNLV averages 76.7 points per game.
The PAC 12 Conference was extremely weak all year. UNLV has a much higher upside than Colorado. I think the Rebels will get out in transition and outscore the Buffaloes in this matchup.
Prediction: UNLV 73 Colorado 66
