Subscribe
Follow Us
The UNLV Rebels (4-1) visit the San Jose State Spartans (3-1) on Friday night in a Mountain West Conference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 ET. Below we continue our College Football odds series with a UNLV-San Jose State prediction and preview.
UNLV is 4-1 this season and 2-0 in Mountain West Conference play. The Rebels' lone loss came in a tight week 2 affair at California. UNLV enters week five following a 31-20 win over New Mexico. The Rebels are undefeated in the Mountain West after victories over Utah State and the aforementioned Lobos.
San Jose State also has just one loss as they are 3-1 entering week five. San Jose State's lone loss came at the hands of SEC foe Auburn. The Spartans kept things close in the week two loss: 24-16. San Jose State is 1-0 in Mountain West play thanks to last week's 33-16 victory over Wyoming.
Here are the UNLV-San Jose State college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: UNLV-San Jose State Odds
UNLV: +6.5 (-106)
San Jose State: -6.5 (-114)
Over: 52.5 (-110)
Under: 52.5 (-110)
Why UNLV Could Cover The Spread
UNLV has seen a great deal of success this season thanks to their potent offense. The Rebels lead the Mountain West conference in scoring this season with an average of 37.8 points per game. They're third in the conference in both passing and rushing yards per game which shows their strong balance in both facets of offense.
The UNLV passing attack is led by sophomore standout Doug Brumfield. In his first season as a full-time starter, Brumfield has paced the Mountain West in passing. He is first in both yards (1223) and touchdowns (8). Perhaps most impressive for the young quarterback has been his ability to take care of the ball. He's completed 70.5% of his passes this season while throwing just 2 interceptions. In addition to his 8 passing touchdowns, Brumfield has ran in 5 scores as well.
The Rebels have a number of weapons at Brumfield's disposal. Junior running back Aidan Robbins leads the conference in rushing touchdowns with 8 and is averaging just under 5 yards per carry. However, it is the UNLV receiving group that is most notable when making a UNLV-San Jose State prediction. The Rebels are led by sophomore receiver Ricky White. White is the team's leading receiver with 25 catches for 360 yards. He's caught 3 of Brumfield's 8 touchdowns but he somehow isn't the Rebel's primary red zone option.
Junior receiver Kyle Williams leads the team with 4 receiving touchdowns this season. He has already tied his career mark in touchdowns and has caught a score in every game this season. Williams is second on the team in receptions (18) and yards (235). If UNLV is going to cover the spread Friday night it will largely fall on the shoulders of the Rebel's passing weapons.
Why San Jose State Could Cover The Spread
San Jose State features a formidable offense (26 points per game) and a stout defense (15.8 points allowed per game). While UNLV features a balanced offensive attack, the Spartans rely heavily on their passing game. San Jose State averages 274 yards per game through the air – compared to just 93 yards on the ground.
The Spartan passing attack is driven by junior quarterback Chevan Cordeiro. The third-year starter is coming off his best statistical game of the season in the Spartans' win over Wyoming. In the victory, Cordeiro threw for 314 yards and a touchdown. While he hasn't exactly lit up the touchdown department (just 4 passing touchdowns) he's yet to throw an interception. He's made up for his lack of passing scores with 4 rushing touchdowns. While not necessarily a dual-threat quarterback, Cordeiro has proven capable of punching it in when his team gets into the red zone.
Running back Kaiser Robinson is responsible for the rest of the Spartan scores this season. The senior has scored 4 times in four games. He's also coming off his best game of the season in the Spartans' win over Wyoming. R0binson totted the rock 20 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. UNLV has the conference's second-best run defense so this is certainly a matchup worth paying attention to when making a UNLV-San Jose State prediction.
While the San Jose State defense can be vulnerable against the run, they're stout against the pass. The Spartans are second in the country in passing yards allowed and have picked off 6 passes this season. UNLV loves to throw the rock and the San Jose State secondary will face arguably its toughest test of the year. The Spartans were exception against the pass in their loss to Auburn earlier in the season. San Jose State held Auburn to just 168 yards through the air. They'll need to replicate that success if they wish to cover against a solid UNLV offense.
Final UNLV-San Jose State Prediction & Pick
This matchup comes down to the UNLV pass offense against the San Jose State secondary. San Jose State should win outright in a home matchup but don't expect a blowout. I'm banking on UNLV's high-powered offense to keep things close.
Final UNLV-San Jose State Prediction & Pick: UNLV +6.5 (-106)
