We have Friday night action in the Mountain West Conference as the Fresno State Bulldogs head up to Reno to face the Nevada Wolf Pack. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on CBS Sports Network. Nevada won their first matchup 72-57 back on January 6.
Fresno State (11-17, 4-11 MWC) is hoping to end a four-game losing skid tonight and it fell short of pulling a massive upset in a 77-73 overtime loss to Utah State on Tuesday. The Bulldogs nearly had the game in the bag before a clutch Darius Brown II three with two seconds left sent the game to OT. The Aggie guard would fire off another huge three in the final minute of the extra period to put the first-place team on top for good. Isaiah Hill led Fresno with 21 points before fouling out.
Nevada (23-6, 10-5 MWC) has ripped off four straight wins to stay in the conference title race and came away with a thrilling 77-74 victory over Colorado State on Tuesday. With the game tied in the final seconds, Jarod Lucas banked in a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to give the Wolf Pack a huge road win in Fort Collins. He led the way with 23 points and seven rebounds.
The last matchup between these two squads was close until the final four minutes, where the Pack were able to go on a 13-1 run to put the game away. This game could be decided by Nevada’s ability to get to the free throw line as it leads the Mountain West in free throw rate at 43.8%. In contrast, the Bulldogs have been the second-best defense in limiting opponent’s FTR at 28.9%
What this game means for Fresno State
Fresno State has struggled down the stretch of conference play and at this point, it is just playing for the best possible seed it can get for the Mountain West Conference Tournament. The Bulldogs would be the No. 9 seed if the regular season ended today, meaning that they’d be matched up against the No. 1 seed if they advanced to the second round. They’d want the easiest path available and it starts with racking up wins like their matchup tonight.
What this game means for Nevada
As mentioned before, Nevada is right in the mix for the Mountain West Conference regular season championship and has a tiebreaker victory over first-place Utah State in its back pocket. The Wolf Pack would like to stay in the mix and a home victory over Fresno would accomplish just that. Nevada is also a team that is considered in the NCAA Tournament field for now, but a Quad 4 loss to a mediocre Bulldogs team would do a lot of damage to its resume. It needs to handle its business.
Fresno State vs. Nevada odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Nevada -14.5
Total: 135.5
Moneyline: Nevada -1350, Fresno State +800