No. 21 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels at California Golden Bears
Sunday, 12/9/12, 6:00 PM EST, TV: ESPNU
Opening Point Spread: California -1
Current Betting Line: California -1
Opening Total: 144.5
Current Total: 147
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
UNLV has won four straight games including its first road contest of the year, coming away with a 68-60 win over Portland as 14-point favorites on Tuesday. The Runnin’ Rebels played that game without the services of junior forward Mike Moser, who is dealing with a hip injury. “I don’t think it’s something too serious,” commented Moser this week. “It’s already feeling better.” He leads the team in rebounding and ranks second in scoring. UNLV is 6-12 ATS in December the last two-plus seasons, which is important to consider when making your NCAA basketball predictions for Sunday.
The Runnin’ Rebels are deep enough to overcome the absence of Moser in this affair, with four other players averaging at least 10.0 points per game. Freshman forward Anthony Bennett, who is averaging 18.7 points per game has led the program in scoring in six of seven games. UNLV has won four of five all-time meetings in this series, including a dominating 85-68 victory as 7.5-point home favorites last year, while going OVER the posted total of 140.
California returns home after playing four games away from Haas Pavilion, as it looks to bounce back from its first defeat of the year, suffering a 81-56 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers as eight-point road underdogs. “The only thing I can hope is that we learn from this,” commented Golden Bears coach Mike Montgomery. The Golden Bears have out-rebounded six of their first seven opponents, which could play a big role in determining the outcome of this contest if Moser is unable to go. California is 7-4 ATS after allowing 80 or more points since 2010, with the OVER going 7-4 in that situation.
The Golden Bears are led offensively by the junior guard duo of Allen Crabbe and Justin Cobbs, as they combined to average 41.1 points per game. The pair has combined to score 288 of California’s 504 points through seven games. Crabbe is the Pac-12’s leading scorer and ranks sixth nationally.
Sports bettors will likely back the Golden Bears due to their 12-4 ATS mark after a spread loss, while the Runnin’ Rebels are 1-11 ATS in their last 12 road games.
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