Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between UNLV and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Fresno State 48-30.
If UNLV keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 7-5 in no time. On the other hand, Fresno State will have to make due with a 4-9 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Fresno State Bulldogs @ UNLV Rebels
Current Records: Fresno State 4-8, UNLV 6-5
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET
- Where: Thomas & Mack Center — Las Vegas, Nevada
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $13.32
What to Know
Bulldogs fans better hope the squad plays one heck of a game on Saturday as the odds are decidedly against them. They and the UNLV Rebels will face off in a Mountain West battle at 10:00 p.m. ET at Thomas & Mack Center.
Last Saturday, things could have been worse for Fresno State, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took an 86-69 loss to Cal Baptist.
Zaon Collins put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 6 for 9 en route to 14 points plus six assists. His performance made up for a slower match against San Diego two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, there’s no place like home for UNLV, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Tuesday. They came out on top against UC Riverside by a score of 66-53 on Saturday.
UNLV’s victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jeremiah Cherry, who went 6 for 8 en route to 12 points plus three blocks. Cherry continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he’s played. Another player making a difference was Dedan Thomas Jr., who scored 15 points plus five assists and five rebounds.
UNLV smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That’s the most offensive rebounds they’ve posted since back in March.
Fresno State has been struggling recently as they’ve lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season. As for UNLV, they pushed their record up to 6-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.
Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Fresno State has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 37.1 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for UNLV, though, as they’ve been averaging only 32.8. Given Fresno State’s sizable advantage in that area, UNLV will need to find a way to close that gap.
Fresno State couldn’t quite finish off UNLV in their previous meeting back in February and fell 67-65. Can Fresno State avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
UNLV is a big 16.5-point favorite against Fresno State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Rebels, as the game opened with the Rebels as a 14.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 145.5 points.
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Series History
UNLV has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Fresno State.
- Feb 14, 2024 – UNLV 67 vs. Fresno State 65
- Jan 30, 2024 – UNLV 78 vs. Fresno State 69
- Feb 03, 2023 – Fresno State 82 vs. UNLV 79
- Jan 21, 2023 – Fresno State 76 vs. UNLV 63
- Feb 16, 2022 – UNLV 60 vs. Fresno State 57
- Jan 14, 2022 – Fresno State 73 vs. UNLV 68
- Feb 26, 2021 – UNLV 68 vs. Fresno State 67
- Feb 24, 2021 – Fresno State 67 vs. UNLV 64
- Feb 08, 2020 – UNLV 68 vs. Fresno State 67
- Dec 04, 2019 – UNLV 81 vs. Fresno State 80
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