UCLA vs. UNLV: How to Watch, Game Info, Betting Odds
In their third game in Las Vegas this week, the Bruins will be going head-to-head with another West Coast program with some history and NCAA tournament success.
WHO: UCLA vs. UNLV
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 27
TIME: 2:06 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
TV: Stadium – Chris Hassel (play-by-play), Doug Gottlieb (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV – Get 7-day Free Trial
RADIO: AM 570, SXM App 986 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -10.5 (-110), UNLV +10.5 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA (-599), UNLV (+450)*
OVER/UNDER: O 139 (-110), U 139 (-110)*
UCLA is the No. 2 team in the country according to both the AP and Coaches Polls, and was the preseason favorite to win the Pac-12. UNLV did not receive votes in either poll and was picked to finish seventh in the preseason Mountain West media poll.
The Bruins went 22-10 last season, including a 5-5 record on the road. Dating back to the start of the 2017-2018 season, they are 16-24 on the road. UCLA finished off last season by making a run from the First Four to the Final Four, narrowly losing to then-undefeated Gonzaga on a buzzer-beater in overtime.
The Rebels went 12-15 last season, including a 9-5 record at home. Over the past four-plus seasons, they are 46-26 at home. UNLV made the second round of the Mountain West tournament last year, beating Air Force before losing to Utah State.
UCLA is off to a 5-1 start to this season, losing to No. 1 Gonzaga after opening the season with four home wins and a neutral site victory over Bellarmine. The Bruins are averaging 86.2 points per game and allowing 70.3.
UNLV is 4-2 so far in 2021, beating Gardner-Webb, Cal and North Dakota State to open the year before losing to Michigan and Wichita State across town in the Roman Main Event at the T-Mobile Center, then returning home to beat Whittier College 101-45. The Rebels are averaging 69.7 points per game and allowing 60.8.
The Bruins opened the year with all five starters and the whole bench returning from last year's Final Four team, but reserve big man Mac Etienne suffered a season-ending right knee injury in practice and forward Cody Riley sprained his left knee Nov. 9 and is set to miss at least another week. Leading scorers Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jules Bernard and Tyger Campbell are all returning to carry the load, with Jaylen Clark, David Singleton and Jake Kyman coming off the bench, Rutgers center Myles Johnson transferring in during the offseason and five-star freshman wing Peyton Watson joining the fray as well.
Juzang is the top scorer so far this season with 18.3 points per game, while Jaquez and Bernard are averaging 16.2 and 14.0 a night, respectively.
The Rebels’ top-six scorers are all upperclassmen, with Pasadena native guard Bryce Hamilton leading the way with 15.8 points per game. Hamilton is shooting 22.2% from deep despite hoisting up 6.0 attempts a night, but second and third-leading scorers Donovan Williams and Jordan McCabe are shooting a combined 45.6% on 11.3 3-point attempts per game.
Mick Cronin is now in his 19th season as a head coach, and he has an all-time record of 411-194 with 12 NCAA tournament appearances across stints at Murray State, Cincinnati and UCLA. Kevin Kruger is in his first year as a head coach at the Division I level and was previously an assistant at Northern Arizona, Oklahoma and UNLV.
UCLA is 6-0 against UNLV head-to-head, with the most recent matchup coming on the first leg of this home-and-home agreement in 2019. The Bruins beat the Rebels 71-54 in Cronin's third-ever game with the program.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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