It will be a battle between Mountain West opponents when the Utah State Aggies (11-8) welcome the Nevada Wolf Pack (12-8) to Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The game begins at 9:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 30 and will air on RT.
The Aggies are hoping for a better outcome after their 70-55 loss to San Diego State the last time they played. Shane Rector finished with 15 points to lead the team. The Wolf Pack are coming off a close 57-54 loss to that same San Diego State squad in their last game. Marqueze Coleman had a good shooting night, leading the game with 21 points.
Utah State is a three-point favorite against Nevada and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 147 points. The Aggies have gone 11-8 Straight Up (SU) and 6-10 Against The Spread (ATS). Expect Utah 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 22.5 fouls per game.
As for their opponent, the Wolf Pack have 12-8 SU and 8-10 ATS records. Nevada is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Wolf Pack average 41.4 rebounds per game, making them the 23rd-best team in the country for that category. Switching gears to the Nevada defense, the Wolf Pack have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .392. Blocking shots is an area where Nevada has excelled. The Wolf Pack average 6.3 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
This is the first meeting of the season for these conference foes. The last time they played, Utah State came out on top, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over Nevada in their most recent meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Aggies also have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – Nevada, ATS Winner – Nevada, O/U – Over
Notes
Utah State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah State’s last 9 games.
Utah State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
Utah State is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah State’s last 5 games at home.
Utah State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Nevada.
Nevada lost its last game by a three-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Utah State is 2-1. Nevada is 5-2 in close games this season.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average 72.8 possessions per game and 1.047 points per possession. The Utah State Aggies earn fewer possessions with 67.9, but they score more points with 1.059.
Utah State has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.1%. Nevada is 3-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Utah State Aggies attempt 22.0 three point field goals per game and the Nevada Wolf Pack attempt 17.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Utah State is 9-6, while Nevada has a poor record of 2-4.
The Nevada Wolf Pack average 41.4 rebounds per game and are ranked 23rd. The Utah State Aggies average 36.5 rebounds per game, ranked 176th.
The Nevada Wolf Pack rank 32nd in offensive rebounds. The Utah State Aggies rank 181st in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Nevada has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.8% this season. Utah State is an even 5-5 when its TO% is 18.8% or higher.
