Breaking down UNLV’s game at Wyoming

Wyoming Cowboys' Justin James (1) shoots the ball while UNLV Rebels' Cheikh Mbacke Diong (34) and Kris Clyburn (1) defend at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018. Andrea Cornejo Las Vegas Review-Journal @DreaCornejo
Breaking down UNLV’s basketball game against Wyoming at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming:
Backcourt
Wyoming’s Justin James is one of the Mountain West’s top players, averaging a league-leading 20.7 points to go with 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He’s also a matchup problem at 6 feet 7 inches. UNLV’s Amauri Hardy and Kris Clyburn combine to average 26.3 points.
Edge: Wyoming
Frontcourt
Joel Ntambwe helped rescue UNLV on Saturday at San Jose State, scoring 20 points in the 71-64 victory. Teammate Mbacke Diong has 35 blocked shots and averages 6.5 rebounds, and his 5-of-6 shooting was key against the Spartans. Hunter Thompson averages 10.2 points for the Cowboys. They have been outrebounded by nearly seven per game.
Edge: UNLV
Bench
Both teams are similar when it comes to how far down the bench each goes. The Rebels have received a little bit better production from their reserves.
Edge: UNLV
Intangibles
Winning at Wyoming is usually a challenge for the Rebels, who have lost their past three trips there. Five of the Cowboys’ six victories have occurred at home.
Edge: Wyoming
Betting line
UNLV -6; total 141½
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Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.