Boise State vs. UNLV prediction: College football odds, picks, best bets Friday
On Friday night, the Mountain West Conference takes center stage as the 6-1 UNLV Rebels host the 5-1 Boise State Broncos in a game with enormous implications for the College Football Playoff.Boise State holds a 4-0 all-time advantage over UNLV, including a 44-20 win in the Mountain West Championship last season. Running back Ashton Jeanty is the headliner in this massive matchup, but we have our eyes on another skill player in this game whose props hold plenty of value.Here’s a breakdown of Friday night’s bout between Boise State and UNLV, along with a prediction and best bet.Jeanty has set the college football world on fire this season, rushing for 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns in just six games.
That puts him on pace to break Barry Sanders’ records, which have stood for 36 years.He is tied for first in this week’s Heisman betting odds with Miami’s Cam Ward (+200, FanDuel), and this game will provide a tremendous opportunity to showcase his talents.UNLV has been respectable against the run, allowing just 3.4 yards per carry, which ranks 25th in the country.
Linebacker Jackson Woodard, the favorite for the MWC Defensive Player of the Year award, is the Rebels’ leading tackler (63 total, 8.5 tackles for loss).However, Jeanty was dominant in that matchup last year, rushing 21 times for 153 yards and a touchdown, and the Rebels allowed more than 300 total rushing yards for the game. If defensive coordinator Barry Odom can find a way to at least slow down Jeanty on early downs, UNLV might have success forcing Maddux Madsen into mistakes; he has more turnover-worthy plays (seven) than big-time throws (three) this season.
The Rebels rank in the top 20 in Pro Football Focus coverage grades, and transfer Jalen Catalon has been dominant at safety.After a bizarre midseason NIL snafu, the Rebels switched from Matthew Sluka to Hajj-Malik Williams as their starting quarterback.It’s unclear why Williams wasn’t starting to begin with; he’s the far superior ...