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UNLV takes the trip from Las Vegas to Reno as they face Nevada. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a UNLV-Nevada prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
UNLV enters the game at 4-1 on the season this year. they opened the season with a 44-14 win over Bryant. The next week, they fell to Michigan 35-7, but they would rebound. First, it was a win on a last-second second field goal over Vanderbilt. then, they dominated UTEP and Hawaii. UNLV has been great on offense this year, in the four wins this season, they have scored over 40 points in each game.
Nevada enters the game at 0-5 on the season and they have not had many close games. First, it was a 66-14 loss to USC and then a 33-6 loss to Idaho. The closest game of the season was against Kansas. The two teams were tied at the half, and then Nevada tied that game once again in the fourth quarter. Still, with 6:20 left in the game, Kansas scored and would take a 31-24 victory in the game.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: UNLV-Nevada Odds
UNLV: -7.5 (-108)
Nevada: +7.5 (-112)
Over: 53.5 (-110)
Under: 53.5 (-110)
How to Watch UNLV vs. Nevada Week 7
Time: 5:00 PM ET/ 2:00 PM PT
TV: MWC Digital
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why UNLV Will Cover The Spread
Jayden Maiava leads the UNLV offense. He has passed for 701 yards this year with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been solid in his two starts this year. Maiacva has started the last two games, throwing for 332 yards in those games with two touchdowns. Still, he has had four turnover-worthy passes in those games. He was also not sacked in the two games. The biggest issue last game was ball security. With the interceptions, he fumbled twice as well.
The ground game is led by Jai'Den Thomas and Vicent Davis. Thomas has run for 265 yards this year with almost two yards before first contact. He has scored seven times this year, with 14 missed tackles forced this year. Meanwhile, Davis has 264 yards this season with a touchdown as well. UNLV is very run-heavy as well. Donavyn Lester and Courtney Reese have three rushing touchdowns each as well. In the running game, UNLV has been good at taking care of the ball overall. They have also been great in the red zone, sitting 16th in red zone efficiency.
On defense, UNLV is also one of the best in the nation against the run. They are 20th against the run this year while sitting 47th against the pass. Jonathan Baldwin and Marsel McDuffie lead the run defense. They both have eight stops for offensive failures this year and have a combined two missed tackles this year. Overall, UNLV has 82 stops for offensive failures this year on 133 attempts. Still, in coverage, they have given up eight touchdowns through the air and 1,409 yards this year. They have seven interceptions this year, with Jaxen Turner having two of them this year.
Why Nevada Will Cover The Spread
Brendon Lewis has been the quarterback for Nevada this year. He has not played well this year. Lewis has completed just 75 of 127 passes this year for 620 yards. He has not passed for over 185 yards yet this season, and has not thrown a touchdown. Still, he has thrown four interceptions and another 12 turnover-worthy passes. The ground game has not been much better. Lewis did score twice on the ground against Kansas, but he has just 276 yards on the ground and fumbled five times. This has led to him being relieved in games this year. AJ Bianco has appeared in four games this year and passed for 313 yards on almost 65 percent passing. He has two touchdowns and an interception in that time. Bianco has also scored once on the ground as well.
Meanwhile, Sean Dollars has been the top running back for Nevada. He has run for 170 yards this year with two scores. He has forced seven missed tackles this year as well. Still, between the two quarterbacks and Dollars, they are the only players who have scored on the ground for Nevada this year.
Jamall Bell has been the most reliable receiver for Nevada this year. He has brought in 26 of 33 targets for 247 yards this season. He has scored just once though, but still, he did not drop a pass this season. Either has Spencer Curtis this year. He has brought in 15 of 23 targets this year for 186 yards and a score.
The run defense has been an issue for Nevada this year. Drue Watts, the linebacker, has missed seven tackles this year, while Tongiaki Mateialona has also missed six tackles. They are 114th this season against the run but even worse against the pass. Nevada is 131st in the nation against the pass this year. They have allowed 1.631 yards in the passing game this year and allowed 12 touchdowns through the air this year. Meanwhile, they have broken up just five passes with three interceptions this year.
Final UNLV-Nevada Prediction & Pick
UNLV is playing amazingly this year. They are 15th in rushing this year and solid in the red zone. The only team that has been able to shut down the UNLV offense this year was Michigan, which is one of the best defensive units in the nation. since then, they have scored 40 or more points in every single game. Meanwhile, they have won three of those four games by 17 or more each game. Meanwhile, Nevada is one of the worst defensive units in college football. They are the worst against the run, which Nevada is good at. Nevada has given up 27 or more points in every game this year, while the most they have scored is 24. The closest they have come to winning a game was a seven-point loss. With the line being just 7.5 in this game, everything points towards UNLV blowing Nevada out of the water. Go ahead and take UNLV to score plenty of points in this one, and win this one easily.
Final UNLV-Nevada Prediction & Pick: UNLV -7.5 (-108)
