The Nevada Wolf Pack will be at Taco Bell Arena to take on the Boise State Broncos in a Mountain West matchup. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 2 and can be seen on CI.
The Broncos barely escaped San Diego State 66-63 on Saturday. Chandler Hutchison was the team’s high scorer with 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting. The Wolf Pack are coming off an 87-80 win against Colorado State on Sunday. Tyron Criswell played well for Nevada, posting 23 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Cameron Oliver has been on fire over the last five games for the Wolf Pack, averaging 14.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Broncos won the first game 74-67. James Webb III put up 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The Broncos have gone 19-10 Straight Up (SU) and 14-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). The Broncos have one of the most prolific home offenses in the entire nation, averaging 81.7 points per game. Expect Boise State to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Wolf Pack, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 22.1 fouls per game.
Across the court, the Wolf Pack have 18-10 SU and 14-12 ATS records. The Wolf Pack convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 45th in the nation at .734. The Wolf Pack are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 41.8 rebounds per game. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Wolf Pack have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .389. Blocking shots is an area where Nevada has excelled. The Wolf Pack average 5.9 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
In their previous meeting this season, Boise State beat Nevada, moving its SU record against Nevada to 6-4 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The Broncos also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. Boise State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, while Nevada was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Nevada, ATS Winner – Nevada
Notes
Boise State averages 77.9 points per game (ranked 57th). Nevada, on the other hand, allows 71.8 points per game (ranked 149th).
Boise State scores 81.7 points per home game (ranked 45th). Nevada ranks a poor 157th in points allowed on the road, allowing 75.2 points.
The Boise State Broncos rank 67th for their offensive rating of 111.1. The Nevada Wolf Pack have a defensive rating of 97.9 (ranked 42nd).
The Nevada Wolf Pack average 73.5 possessions per game and 1.040 points per possession. The Boise State Broncos earn fewer possessions with 70.1, but they score more points with 1.111.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average an effective field goal percentage of 46.5% this season. The Boise State Broncos have a solid 15-9 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 46.5% or greater.
On average, the Boise State Broncos attempt 24.0 three point field goals per game and the Nevada Wolf Pack attempt 17.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Boise State has a winning 16-7 record, while Nevada is 4-6.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average 41.8 rebounds per game and are ranked 10th. The Boise State Broncos average 34.8 rebounds per game, ranked 251st.
The Nevada Wolf Pack rank 42nd in offensive rebounds. The Boise State Broncos rank 208th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Nevada forces a turnover rate of 18.3%. When Boise State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 8-4 record.
