Saturday afternoon in CBB we will see the 11th ranked  UNLV Runnin' Rebels travel to the Pit in Albuquerque to take on the New Mexico Lobos.  The game is scheduled for a 1:00 pm tipoff and will be televised live on CBS. Currently New Mexico is favored by 5.5 points with the total being set at 141.5 for this game. The UNLV Rebels will be looking to take the lead over the Lobos in the Mountain West conference on Saturday in what should be an exciting and entertaining watch for sure.

Free Analysis: The UNLV Rebels have played excellent ball all year long, and now the Rebels once again find themselves in a battle for first place in a Saturday game. The Rebels are 22-5 on the season, and currently trail their opponent the New Mexico Lobos by just one game in the MWC standings.  UNLV blew an 18-point lead over the final 15 minutes in its 102-97 overtime loss at TCU on Wednesday, and now the 11th-ranked Rebels find themselves in a precarious spot.  A loss against the Lobos, who they defeated 80-63 on Jan. 21 in Las Vegas, would likely prevent them from having a chance at their first conference crown since 2000. UNLV has lost two of its last three, with both defeats coming on the road. The Rebels have been shaky away from Thomas & Mack Center all season, falling five times on the road and narrowly escaping with wins in a few other games. Since Jan. 14, the Rebels are 2-3 away from home, with its two wins coming in overtime against Boise State and Air Force, both of which are tied for last in the conference standings. the Rebels have one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation as UNLV is ranked ninth overall in points scored per game at just over 80.  Mike Moser, a sophomore forward who averages a team-high 15 points, leads a balanced scoring attack. Four players average in double figures for the Rebels, who haven’t lost back-to-back games all season. Defensively the Rebels rank 178th in points allowed (67 ppg) and 74th in defensive FG% (40.9%). For the Lobos they are an excellent team with an excellent record this season. The Lobos are 21-4 overall on the year and currently lead the Mountain West conference by one game over UNLV and San Diego State. The Lobos are among the best in the nation in points scored per game as New Mexico is putting up an average of 73.6 per game, and their high shooting percentage (46.7%) puts constant pressure on opposing defenses.  Since losing to the Rebels in late January, New Mexico has rattled off six straight victories, all by 10 or more points.They’ve gotten tremendous production from their bench, which has outscored opponents 171-74 during the win streak. Defensively the Lobos have been one of the best as they are 9th in points allowed (57.7 ppg) and 6th in defensive FG% (37.4 %). Despite their high scoring offense, the Lobos have gone under the projected total in five of their last seven games, and New Mexico is just 2-4 against the spread in their last six games against the Rebels. The Rebels are an excellent 7-2-1 on the road against the spread in their last ten games against the Lobos. 

Free Pick: I like the Lobos in this one. New Mexico is 21-4 on the year, which is a very impressive record, plus they hold a 1 game lead on UNLV in the Mountain West, yet they are unranked, while the Rebels come in ranked 11th in the country. Plus we can go the revenge rout as well as the Rebels beat new Mexico by 17 points earlier in the year. New Mexico is rolling right now as they have won 6 in a row and have scored 71.2 ppg, while holding opponents to just 50.3 ppg. Now that's domination. The Rebels have been excellent at home on they year where they have gone 11-2 and have outscored opponents by 18.7 ppg. UNLV has struggled on the road of late as they are just 2-3 on the road, since Jan. 14 with its two wins coming in overtime against Boise State and Air Force, both of which are tied for last in the conference standings. We know that both teams can score, but New mexico get a HUGE edge at the defensive end where they are ranked 9th in points allowed (57.7 ppg) and 6th in defensive FG% (37.4 %), while the Rebels are ranked 178th in points allowed (67 ppg) and 74th in defensive FG% (40.9%). UNLV has also allowed 73.9 ppg on the road, while the Lobos have allowed just 55.7 ppg at home. The Lobos are playing much better than the Rebels right now and they have the much better defense, they are at home in front of the National audience, they have revenge on their minds and they wanna show everyone that the wrong team is ranked. Just too many edges for the Rebels to overcome here. New Mexico by 10.  

Free Picks: UNLV at New Mexico Betting
http://PregameVideos.com - Must win game for UNLV and Embarrasing revenge for New Mexico plus other factors CBB bettors need to know about Mavs at Knicks (Saturday, February 18, 2012) from Pregame.com - Including predictions from Bryan Leonard and analysis from host Vegas Runner.