No. 20 UNLV Rebels at UCSB Gauchos
Wednesday, 11/30/11, 10:00 PM EST, TV: N/A
Opening Point Spread: UNLV -3.5
Current Betting Line: UNLV -4
Opening Total: 140
Current Total: 141
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
UNLV hits the road for the first time and will be needing to refocus quickly after knocking off the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels in a 90-80 contest inside the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Rebels have opened up with a 7-0 record for the third straight year and first-year head coach Dave Rice has the program moving back in the right direction. “UCSB beat us at the Thomas & Mack Center last year so believe me, they will have our full attention,” stated Rice in practice early this week. UNLV is 12-3 ATS as a road favorite.
The Runnin’ Rebels offense has four players averaging in double figures, with Mike Moser leaving the charge in scoring 15.1 points per game. He is also averaging a double-double on the season in leading the country with 13.7 rebounds per game. Wednesday night will be the 38th all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Rebels posting a 29-8 record. The Runnin’ Rebels are also 186-46 all-time when playing teams from the Big West Conference.
UCSB is 4-1 on the year and is coming off a 76-75 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs as 4.5-point home favorites. The Gauchos let a 59-51 lead slip away and managed to shoot just 38.1 percent from the field. “Tonight, we just simply didn’t make shots,” stated Gauchos coach Bob Williams. “We had a lot of open looks, but things just didn’t fall.” The program will be hosting its first nationally-ranked opponent to play inside the Thunderdome since hosting the North Carolina Tar Heels on Nov. 21, 2008. UCSB is 1-5 ATS when matching up against the Mountain West Conference.
The Gauchos defense is limiting opponents to just 62.0 points per game, which is 3.8 points better than a season ago. UCSB has held its last four opponents to 37.3 percent shooting. Guard Orlando Johnson paces the offense and comes tied his season-high with 26 points versus the Aztecs, as he became the first player in school history to be named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-50 list. He has scored in double-figures in all five games this season and 66 times in 67 games in his career on campus.
Bettors will likely back the Runnin’ Rebels due to their 5-1 ATS mark on the road, while the Gauchos are 1-4 ATS as an underdog.
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