Day One of action for the First Round of the NIT concludes with a nightcap between the UNLV Rebels and the No. 4 seed UC Irvine Anteaters in a game televised on ESPNU at 11 pm ET.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, one of the top weapons in the nation, is appointment television for the late-night crowd looking to soak in all the March goodness.
Read on for my Gibbs-Lawhorn best bet and full UNLV vs. UC Irvine predictions & college basketball picks for Tuesday, March 17.
Who will win UNLV vs UC Irvine?
UC Irvine found plenty of success in this tournament a year ago, advancing to the Championship and falling in overtime. The Anteaters have “been here, done that”, appearing in their fourth consecutive NIT.
That experience should serve them well, and they’re a tough out at home (12-4 record). The pace could be frenetic, and points will still likely come in bunches.
Irvine is comfortable playing that game despite its defensive reputation and is the vastly superior squad on that side of the ball, ranking 146 spots higher in adjusted efficiency than their First Round counterpart.
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UNLV vs UC Irvine prediction
UNLV vs UC Irvine best bet: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Over 22.5 Points (-110 at bet365)
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is one of the most prolific scorers in the country and caught fire to end the regular season, averaging 28.1 ppg in his final 11 games.
Both UNLV and UC Irvine rank within the top 100 in adjusted tempo over the last month (BartTorvik), so possessions should be plentiful in this up-and-down matchup.
The Anteaters push opponents outside the arc (249th in three-point attempt rate against, per Haslametrics). Gibbs-Lawhorn cans 2.9 three-pointers per game at a 41.9% clip, so he’ll welcome the opportunity.
COVERS INTEL: UC Irvine is known for its stingy defense (26th in adjusted efficiency), but keep in mind that the Big West is a poor shooting conference. Only one team (UCSB) ranks inside the top 150 in three-point shooting, and the Gauchos play at a glacial pace (328th in adjusted tempo).UNLV vs UC Irvine same-game parlay
UC Irvine moneyline
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Over 22.5 points
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Over 3.5 three-pointers
The Rebels have struggled with injuries and inconsistent play, resulting in a mediocre 17-16 record in Josh Pastner’s first season.
Irvine is a steady program under Russell Tuner, recording 20+ wins for the 11th time during his tenure. The Anteaters check in at 86th in Haslametrics’ consistency metric, well ahead of the mercurial Rebels (309th).
Gibbs-Lawhorn is used to putting forth Herculean efforts in a loss, as his team went only 6-5 during his previously mentioned torrid scoring stretch to end the regular season.
UNLV vs UC Irvine SGP
- UC Irvine ML
- Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Over 22.5 points
- Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Over 3.5 three-pointers
Our beyond the arc SGP: High-Scoring Irvine W
UC Irvine has been nails against the first half spread, covering in 11 of its past 15 games. If the Anteaters do so again, it’ll likely be in a high-scoring start to the game as UNLV is 11-7 O/U in its last 18 first halves.
The Rebels can shoot better than most Big West teams, ranking 27th in adjusted three-point percentage (Haslametrics).
Their lack of defense (172nd in adjusted efficiency) makes the offense keep its foot on the gas pedal throughout the contest, so it’s no surprise they’ve exceeded their team total in 10 of their last 13 contests.
UNLV vs UC Irvine SGP
- UC Irvine -1.5 in the First Half
- Over 72 in the First Half
- UNLV Team Total Over 76.5
- UC Irvine moneyline
UNLV vs UC Irvine odds
- Spread: UNLV +1.5 (-110) | UC Irvine -1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: UNLV +105 | UC Irvine -125
- Over/Under: Over 151.5 (-110) | Under 151.5 (-110)
UNLV vs UC Irvine betting trend to know
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn has scored more than 22.5 points in nine of his last 13 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for UNLV vs. UC Irvine.
How to watch UNLV vs UC Irvine
| Location | Bren Events Center, Irvine, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, March 17, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 11:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPNU |
UNLV vs UC Irvine key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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