The 2024 NCAA Tournament continues to get all of the attention this time of the year, but the NIT provides a ton of great action and excitement as well. On Wednesday night the UNLV Rebels are taking on the Seton Hall Pirates in a quarterfinal matchup.
UNLV was just one win away from reaching the NCAA Tournament this season, but they fell in their conference tournament to come up short. The Rebels have been on a roll in this tournament, and they are now sitting at 21-12 on the year.
The Seton Hall Pirates are coming into this game with a record of 22-12, and they could have been an at-large team in the NCAA Tournament. Seton Hall has now won four of their last five games and that will give them some momentum.
The Seton Hall Pirates come into this game as a slight 4.5-point betting favorite, and the fact that this game is played in New Jersey impacts those odds.
Rebels Feature Balanced Scoring
The UNLV Rebels might not have a true superstar on their roster this season, but they can be a tough team to defend. UNLV has five different players scoring at least 10.7 points per game this season, and they can make some shots.
Dedan Thomas Jr. has been the brightest star this season as he is pouring in 13.9 points per game this season. Thomas will need to shoot the ball well from deep, and that should open up options for other players.
The Rebels were not a great defensive team throughout the year, but they have been able to come up with some big stops in the NIT.
Richmond Leading Pirates
Kadary Richmond is averaging 15.6 points per game for the Seton Hall Pirates and he is also dishing out five assists per game. Richmond will be the best player on the floor in this game, and that could end up being the difference.
Seton Hall hasn’t always shot the ball well this season, but they are able to put pressure on opponents in the paint. This Pirates team is coming into this game with momentum on offense, and UNLV will have to prove that they can stop them.
Defense has been the one area in which Seton Hall has been able to set themselves apart all season long. If the Pirates are able to get stops then they will be tough to beat on Wednesday night.
Pirates Pick Up Win
UNLV is a team that wants to push the ball on offense in an attempt to score some points, and the Rebels will be pushing the ball in this game. The Rebels have simply outscored two straight opponents, but they will need to get some stops in this game.
Seton Hall has been on a mission to prove that they deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament this season. The Pirates are the better defensive team in this game, and they will make enough shots to come away with a big win.
Bet the Seton Hall Pirates -4.5 as they are going to find a way to win this game by at least five points to advance to the semifinals.
