We have a huge Tuesday night Mountain West Conference showdown to look forward to as the Nevada Wolf Pack head north to face the Boise State Broncos. Tipoff is set for 11 p.m. ET and the game will air on FS1. Boise State defeated Nevada 64-56 in their first matchup back on January 12.
Nevada (24-6, 11-5 MWC) is streaking on a five-game win streak heading into this showdown and most recently downed Fresno State 74-66 on Friday. The Wolf Pack were in firm control for a majority of the contest as they shot 53.1% from the field. Nick Davidson made an impact in the victory with 19 points and six rebounds. Kenan Blackshear missed his second straight contest with a foot injury and is considered a game-time decision for tonight.
Boise State (21-8, 12-4 MWC) is also on a five-game win streak and just downed New Mexico in an 89-79 triumph at home on Saturday. A simple 10-2 run early in the second half allowed the Broncos to establish a cushion and carry it all the way to the final buzzer. Omar Stanley delivered a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Both teams struggled from the field in their first matchup and the Broncos were able to win by holding the Pack to just 36% shooting and out-rebounding them 43-24. Nevada will once again have its hands full on the glass as Boise State leads the conference in offensive rebounding rate at 35.6% and has the lowest oreb rate on defense at 21.8%. However, while second-chance opportunities may be difficult to get, the Wolf Pack can still effectively score on multiple fronts. They lead the conference in three-point shooting at 38.4% in league games and also lead in free throw rate at 42.8%.
What this game means for Nevada
Nevada’s late-season surge has put it right back in the hunt for the Mountain West Conference regular season title. The Pack sit one game behind both Utah State and Boise State in the league standings and with a tiebreaker victory over the Aggies, they’d actually overtake the Broncos for second with a win. Along with that, a victory would give them a league-leading sixth Quad 1 win of the season and that would go a long way towards ensuring a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.
What this game means for Boise State
Boise State lost both of its games against Utah State, so it needs some help if it wants to pull ahead of the Aggies and hoist the MWC regular season crown by the end of the week. The Broncos need to handle business on their end and it starts with putting down the red-hot Wolf Pack this evening.
Nevada vs. Boise State odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Boise State -5.5
Total: 141.5
Moneyline: Boise State -250, Nevada +205
Pick: Nevada +5.5
Nevada is 7-3 against the spread on the road this season and has outright won its past four road outings in conference play. Both of these teams are playing their best basketball of the season at the moment and I expect this to be a highly competitive contest. I’ll take the Pack to cover.