Seton Hall Pirates vs UNLV Rebels Prediction, Picks, Odds, Injury Report, H2H - 3/27/24

We continue our coverage of the NIT Quarterfinals, and today we’ll discuss our Seton Hall vs UNLV prediction on Wednesday. The Pirates are listed as slight favorites at home on the handicap at -4.5, but the Rebels have an 8 – 3 road record this campaign.

Two programs have already advanced to the NIT Final Four from the results on Tuesday night. Georgia upset Ohio State to advance, and the Indiana State Sycamores beat Cincinnati in the other quarterfinal affair.

The VCU Rams and Utah Utes will contest the last NIT Quarterfinal game in Salt Lake City, and then it is on to the Final Four from Hinkle Fieldhouse.

After smashing out another winner last night with the Ohio State vs Georgia total, Ej Garr is 7 – 2 with his last nine NCAA Basketball offers.

For more free basketball tips, visit the bettingexpert community. For more expert tips, visit our Expert Insights section.

SETON HALL VS UNLV Prediction and Picks: Rebels Keep Rolling

• Selection: UNLV Rebels +4.5 Handicap
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: Bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

Odds are available as of March 27th, 2024. Odds may now differ. 

The Seton Hall Pirates have accumulated a 16 – 3 record this campaign at the Walsh Gymnasium. Having a home-court advantage through the first three rounds of the NIT has already earned the Pirates the quarterfinals.

The Pirates have rebounded from getting thumped out of the Big East Conference Tournament in the opening round by St. Johns, 91 – 72. Seton Hall beat St. Joe’s at home in the first round in a close game, 75 – 72. North Texas left the Walsh Gym with a 14-point loss, 72 – 58.

In case you were wondering where St. Johns went after the Big East Tournament, the Johnnies were among many teams that opted out of the NIT. 17 programs that didn’t make the field of 64 for the NCAA Tournament passed on continuing to play basketball in the NIT.

UNLV and Seton Hall gladly accepted invitations. Now they are on the brink of an NIT Final Four appearance.

Kadary Richmond let the Pirates in scoring during the regular season with 16,2 PPG. But through three post-season games, he averages 10 PPG. Richmond was held to only 6 points in the win over St. Joe’s in the first round of the NIT. But he brought in 15 rebounds and 11 points against North Texas.

Dre Davis and Al-Amir Dawes were each double-digit scorers during the regular season, and the pair has turned it up in the NIT. Dawes is averaging 20.7 PPG in the post-season, and his boxscore against St. Joe’s was hella-impressive. Yes, I said that, because the dude scored 26 points, and grabbed 10 rebounds. He also came up with 3 steals and a block to lead the way in the opening game of the NIT.

UNLV relies on a handful of players who can all contribute to the team’s success. The Rebels ended the regular season with five players averaging double-digits in scoring. And they have four players doing it in the post-season.

Keylan Boone and Dedan Thomas Jr. were the top-2 scorers with 12.2 and 13.6 PPG respectively, but they have turned it up in the post-season. Boone leads the team with 18 PPG from the three post-season affairs for UNLV, and Thomas is behind him with 17 PPG.

Boone has also been a factor inside for a team that needed more presence in the paint. Seton Hall holds a big rebounding edge against UNLV on paper, so Boone will have to continue to build on his 9 RBG average in the post-season.

I honestly see this as an evenly matched game that will come down to the wire. UNLV is 8 – 3 on the road this year, so I expect them to know how to handle some hostility around them. I will call for a 76 – 75 game, and whichever team scores last, take the dub!

Seton Hall Pirates vs UNLV Rebels Game Info

• Tip-Off: 00:05 UK Time, Thursday March 28
• Handicap: Seton Hall -4.5
• Match Total: 140.5
• Location: Walsh Gymnasium, South Orange, NJ
• Where to Watch: This game can be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN+

Seton Hall Pirates News, Injury Report, Schedule

The Pirates ended the regular season with a 5 – 2 record hoping to use it as momentum going into the Big East Conference Tournament. That didn’t work out well at all, as St. Johns put a beating on the Pirates, and that is surely why they were not invited to the Big Dance. 

Since the NIT began, Seton Hall has averaged 73.5 PPG which isn’t far off their average in the regular season of 72.8 PPG. 

Seton Hall ranks 28th in the country on the defensive glass averaging 29 boards a game, although they have done a poor job of guarding the 3-point line. The Pirates rank 304th in the country in opposing 3-point FG%, and the Rebels average over 20 shots from behind the arc a night. 

UNLV Rebels News, Injury Report, Schedule

The Rebels caught on fire on January 27, as they turned what was an average campaign into something special starting with the win over lowly San Jose State. After that win over the Spartans, the Rebels ended the regular season with a 12 – 2 record in Mountain West action.

Unfortunately, the Rebels ran into a San Diego State team that took them out in the first round of the MWC Tourney while ending their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. 

The Rebels defense seemed to turn a page near the end of January, as they now rank 64th in the nation allowing 68.2 PPG. UNLV already has a road win in the NIT as underdogs when they took out Princeton in the opening round, 84 – 77. 

UNLV averaged 73.7 PPG during the regular season, but in the NIT they have scored 84 and 77 points in two games. I like their confidence and ability to travel and win games, and that will come in handy tonight.

Seton Hall vs UNLV H2H

Seton Hall and UNLV have met twice in the NCAA Men’s Tournament, both between the 1989 and 1991 campaigns. Seton Hall knocked the Rebels out of the 1989 tourney in the Elite-8, and UNLV returned the favor in the 1991 Elite-8.

Seton Hall and success in the post-season are two things that do not match up, especially in their recent history. The Pirates didn’t make the NCAA Men’s Tournament, but they accepted an NIT bid to atone for last year’s opening-round loss in the NIT.

Seton Hall has participated in the NIT 19 times, and up until this season, the numbers are ugly. The Pirates  The Pirates were bounced out of the first round of the NIT for 10 straight appearances from 1957 – 2010. With a 1 – 14 record in their last 15 NIT games entering this year’s tourney, Seton Hall is 2 – 0 this year with a chance to make to it the NIT FInals.

Seton Hall also has a record of 1 – 6 in their last 6 NCAA Tournament showings from 2006 – 2022. The Pirates have won the 1953 NIT title and earned one NCAA Men’s Final Four appearance from the 1989 campaign.

Speaking of the 1989 campaign, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels were in a dominant phase of the program at that time. The Rebels reached the 1989 Elite-8 and went on to win the 1990 NCAA Men’s Tournament. UNLV reached the Final Four again in 1991, and after beating Seton Hall in the Elite-8 they lost to Duke and then everything changed from there.

UNLV has been ousted from the first round of the NCAA Tournament in their last 5 appearances since 2010. They also bring a 10 – 11 NIT record into tonight’s game in 11 overall appearances.

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