The UNLV Rebels take on the Dayton Flyers in Dayton, OH. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Dayton is favored by 11 points on the spread with a moneyline of -650. The total is set at 141 points.
Here are my UNLV vs. Dayton predictions and college basketball picks for December 17, 2024.
UNLV vs Dayton Prediction
My Pick: UNLV +11.5 (Play to +9.5)
My UNLV vs Dayton best bet is on the Rebels spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
UNLV vs Dayton Odds, Lines, Pick
UNLV Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -110 | 141 -110o / -110u | +475 |
Dayton Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -110 | 141 -110o / -110u | -650 |
- UNLV vs Dayton spread: Dayton -11
- UNLV vs Dayton over/under: 141 points
- UNLV vs Dayton moneyline: Dayton -650, UNLV +475
- UNLV vs Dayton best bet: UNLV +11.5 (Play to +9.5)
My UNLV vs Dayton College Basketball Betting Preview
With victories over Northwestern, UConn and Marquette, Dayton has positioned itself as not only the best team in the Atlantic 10 and a top-25 squad, but a potential dark horse for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
The Flyers have a deep guard group consisting of leading scorer Enoch Cheeks, Malachi Smith, Javon Bennett and Posh Alexander. Anthony Grant also has two double-figure scorers in his frontcourt in Nate Santos and former Ohio State big man Zed Key.
The Flyers' two losses (UNC and Iowa State) have come by a combined seven points in Maui. And let's not forget that Dayton only lost that UNC game because it blew a 21-point lead.
Regardless of the long-term picture of the Flyers, I actually think this spot favors UNLV, despite the Rebels being a disappointing team so far this season and playing on the road.
First, the Flyers are in a sandwich spot; they are coming off a massive victory over Marquette at home and have to travel to Cincinnati to take on the top-25 Bearcats on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Rebels are desperate for some type of quality victory before Mountain West play. They don't have any bad losses this season, but they have missed out on all their opportunities in the non-conference (Memphis, Mississippi State, Northwestern and Creighton).
While Kevin Kruger's team doesn't have a ton of depth, Dedan Thomas Jr. and Jeremiah Cherry are a strong top two. Thomas has seen some of his numbers drop from last season, including his efficiency and assists, but he's still averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting nearly 43% from 3.
Even though Dayton should win this game at home, I think 11.5 is way too many points. The market is overreacting to Dayton's four-game winning streak and underestimating UNLV, a team that should eventually turn a corner with its injury issues fading away and Thomas shooting better from the floor.
Expect the Rebels to keep this within single digits.