College basketball on Saturday afternoon and we will see the UNLV Runnin Rebels travel to San Diego, California to take on the San Diego State Aztecs. The game has a start time of 6:05 pm (Eastern) and will be televised on CBSSN. Vegas odds have the Aztecs listed as 8.5 point favorites, while the total sits at 133.
Analysis: The Runnin' Rebels are 11-6 on the season, but have won eight of their last 10 games. The team is 2-2 in conference play, but enters off a hard- fought 76-73 road win at New Mexico. Dejean-Jones leads the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg, while Kevin Olekaibe is UNLV's resident sniper, amassing a team- best 42 3-pointers and averaging 10.8 ppg. UNLV also has a dominant low post game, led by forwards Roscoe Smith (12.0 ppg) and Khem Birch (11.6 ppg). Smith leads the nation in rebounding at 12.5 rpg, while Birch isn't very far behind with his 9.8. Overall 5 starters average in double figures for this UNLV team that averages a solid 74.7 ppg.
The San Diego State Aztecs have found their way into the top 10 with a stellar 15-1 record so far. Marquee wins along the way include topping Creighton and Kansas. The Aztecs are 9-1 overall in games decided by 10 points or fewer, with their lone loss on the year being a 9 point setback at the hands of top-ranked Arizona more than two months ago. San Diego State is led by their stellar defensive play that is among the nation's top teams in terms of scoring defense (55.9 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (35.8%). Xavier Thames leads the team in scoring at a solid 16.9 ppg, while Winston Shepard represents the only other Aztec currently in double figures at 13.5 ppg. SDSU also enjoys a positive margin in rebounding (+6.2), led by josh Davis' 8.7 rpg. Davis has recorded at least 10 rebounds in 10 consecutive games.
Pick: I like the Over in this one. The Aztecs play solid defense, but I feel that the rebels can push tempo a bit and put some solid points on the board here. UNLV plays better offense away from home and are much better from the FT stripe out on the road. SDSU is average at best on offense, but still they average 69.3 ppg at home and the Rebels have allowed 69.6 in their last 5 games overall. I can see this one putting up 135+ points.
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College Basketball Free Picks: UNLV at San Diego State Betting
What college Basketball bettors need to know about UNLV Runnin Rebels at San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday (1/18/14) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard with host Marco D'Angelo.