In Big Play
UNLV forward Victor Iwuakor (0) and Utah State forward Taylor Funk (23) fight for the ball during the an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, March 1, 2023, in Las Vegas. Utah State won, 91-66. Photo/Las Vegas Sun

For the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, there’s one more regular season game.

One more chance to bet on them. Or fade them, whichever is your preference.

But fading or going against them has been the more profitable play of late.

After getting waxed, shellacked and thoroughly buffed by Utah State, 91-66, on Wednesday, the Rebels are 1-4 ATS in their last four. Their lone cover in their last five was vs. Boise State when they covered +9 in a 73-69 loss. In the game vs. Utah State, they closed as 2.5-point home favorites, which meant the Aggies covered by 22.5 points. For a sports bettor who sometimes sees games decided by the half-point “hook,” that’s a very cushy margin.

Utah State scored 32 points off of 17 UNLV turnovers, led in points in the paint, 42-20, and led at halftime, 44-32.

Curiously, coach Kevin Kruger had no immediate comments on UNLV’s official website after the Senior Night loss.

But senior Justin Webster told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “As leaders, we need to apologize for the way we presented ourselves tonight. That’s not basketball, not UNLV basketball. It starts with us as leaders of the team. We’ll take that burden.”

But yes, there is one more game. UNLV visits Reno for its regular-season finale on Saturday vs. UNR at 2 p.m. No line yet on the game, but the Wolfpack certainly will be favored.

After that, of course, the Mountain West Conference tournament will get underway.

Elsewhere:

— Home ice: There are two more games in the Vegas Golden Knights’ current homestand. First up is the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

The Golden Knights are 36-19-3-3. The Devils bring a 40-15-3-2 mark to the game.

Oddsmakers make the VGK a -110 favorite with the total at 6. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

That game will be followed by one on Sunday with the Montreal Canadiens. The puck drop for that game is at 3 p.m.

Knights center Jack Eichel was upbeat after the 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

“That’s a really good hockey team,” he told the Las Vegas Sun. “They do put a lot of shots on the net. … It was a tight-checking game. There wasn’t a lot of room out there.”

The Golden Knights are back astride the top of the Pacific Division but Los Angeles, Edmonton and Seattle lurk, only points behind. There will be plenty of playoff` drama before the regular season concludes April 13.

UFC 285: Jon Jones (26-1-0) is favored vs. Ciyrl Gane (11-1-0) at UFC 285 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

At William Hill, Jones is -175 in the heavyweight bout with Gane at +138. Station Casinos has Jones at -175 with Gane at +155.

Over 4.5 rounds is -140 at Station. Under 4.5 rounds is priced at +120.

Fight time is 7 p.m.

— Was he due? Las Vegan Collin Morikawa went off at anywhere from +1600 to +2000 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational that teed off Thursday at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida.

Morikawa, 26, hasn’t been grabbing headlines lately, but he won the Workaday Championship and also The Open championship in 2021.

However, he shot a +2 in the first round, tied for 85th place. The adjusted odds from Station now offer +17500 on him.

— NCAA Tournament odds: Only a matter of days now until Selection Sunday on March 12, the prelude to the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament that will fill sports books across Nevada. Once the field of 68 gets underway, good seats will be scarce in all sports books. Long lines may form just before the tipoff of many games. It will be, in a word, nuts.

A compilation of odds at Vegas Insider shows Houston the favorite at around +600. Kansas is next at +800 followed by Alabama at a futures price of +750 to +1000. UCLA is a popular choice at +1000 to +1200. Purdue, which has shown its vulnerability recently, is generally +1200.

“I’ve had a team that’s been a 1-seed, I’ve had 2-seeds, 3-seeds, it’s all the same to me,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told the Houston Chronicle. “You can lose to anybody you play.”

— Totals mayhem: While there are plenty of betting opportunities every day — from the NHL to the NBA to exhibition baseball to specialty events, college basketball presents the most choices with dozens of games on some days. Strange outcomes often result.

The Northwestern-Penn State men’s basketball game on Wednesday had all the markings of going under 133.5. Unfortunately, it went to overtime tied at 61. Fortunately, for under players, it was a low-scoring overtime period with only 11 points. Despite overtime, the Penn State 68-Northwestern 65 final still managed to squeak under by the narrowest of margins.

But in Thursday’s game between Michigan and Illinois, the total also appeared headed under 144.5. Again, two teams were tied at 70 at the end of regulation. Two overtime periods later, Illinois edged Michigan, 91-87, and the total flew over.

— Not so close cover: For every close game decided by a last-second shot in garbage time, there are blowouts in college hoops too. On Thursday, Florida Atlantic was -8.5 vs. Rice — a spooky Owls vs. Owls matchup. The Florida Atlantic version prevailed, 102-74, a cover by 19.5 points.

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