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Get ready college football fans! An intriguing Mountain West clash will be on tap for you this weekend as the Colorado State Rams take on the UNLV Rebels in Las Vegas. Join us for our College Football odds series where our Colorado State-UNLV prediction and pick will be unveiled for all to see.
Riding high after last weekend's miraculous come-from-behind victory over Boise State, the 3-3 Rams are on pace to become bold eligible for the first time since the 2017 season. Not only did the Rammies defeat the Broncos for the first time ever in their program history, but they also overcame a 30-10 deficit with only minutes to play in the late hours of the night while most of the country was fast asleep and won the game on a dramatic Hail Mary attempt as time expired. Entering this matchup as underdogs again, can Colorado State shock the college football world once again?
Meanwhile, the Rebels of UNLV have quietly but surely conducted a brilliant season and currently sit with a 5-1 record at the halfway point of the season-long campaign and have a legitimate chance at the conference championship. Fresh off of a 45-27 beatdown over the Nevada Wolfpack, the Rebels are on a mission to prove that they need to be taken seriously by not only the Mountain West Conference but the entire nation as well.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Colorado State-UNLV Odds
Colorado State: +7.5 (-115)
UNLV: -7.5 (-105)
Over: 62.5 (-105)
Under: 62.5 (-115)
How to Watch Colorado State vs. UNLV Week 8
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
TV: Mountain West Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Colorado State Will Cover The Spread
While their record isn't as glamorous on paper at 3-3, these Colorado State Rams have provided their fans with the most excitement that they have had in years. Indeed, this program seems to be on the rise under second-year head coach Jay Norvell, and even after coming under some scrutiny with his comments about Coach Prime during the week of the CU-CSU game, he seems to be the right man for the job for the foreseeable future.
Despite posting a 1-2 record out on the road this season, the Rams are confident that they can storm into Sin City and create some havoc in big ways to possibly knock off the UNLV Rebels. For starters, CSU is led by freshman quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi who stole the starting job in the second half of the very first game of the season and has more than proven he is the right guy under center. So far, Fowler-Nicolosi has passed for nearly 2,000 yards through the air and also has accounted for 14 touchdown passes.
In addition to some stellar quarterback possibly contributing to the Rams at least covering the spread on the Rebels home field, also be on the lookout for dynamic wideout Tory Horton who has put on an absolute show so far in his senior season. Without a doubt, Horton will be playing on Sundays, but before then, he could very well explode for a big day this weekend. Remember, this Rams defense is porous at best and tends to give up big chunk plays, so there is no question that this offense is going to have to put up some points on the scoreboard to have a chance.
Why UNLV Will Cover The Spread
While possessing a home-field advantage in this one will more than likely prove to be a difference-maker, it is difficult to argue against the fact that UNLV has an elite running game that even top defenses find it hard to slow down.
On paper, the Rebels put up 221 yards on the ground on average and are known to make opposing defenses pay with their physical-natured play up front. Right off the bat, this area of expertise that has benefited UNLV all season long should pay dividends as CSU's rush defense surrenders an average of 162 rushing yards per game. Even more favorably, the last time the Rebels were out on the gridiron, they absolutely abused Nevada on the ground with 258 yards on 48 carries (5.4 YPC). If all else fails, UNLV's identity is in the hands of their halfbacks running through large lanes set by the offensive line.
Another reason why UNLV will cover the spread on Saturday will be due to their defense that bends but oftentimes does not break. Overall, their statistical numbers certainly don't jump out at you, but they have been prone to making game-changing plays all year long. With 17 sacks and nine interceptions record already this season, don't be surprised if the Rebels make some big-time plays on the defensive side of the ball to change the tide and momentum of this showdown in the most dire way possible.
Final Colorado State-UNLV Prediction & Pick
Even though this game isn't considered to be one of the top marquee contests of the college football weekend, it certainly has the chance to be extremely entertaining! At the end of the day, side with the Rebels at home to handle their business even against a CSU squad that is riding high from last week's dramatic win.
Final Colorado State-UNLV Prediction & Pick: UNLV -7.5 (-105)
