CFB Get-Out Game: UNLV Rebels vs Fresno State Bulldogs

UNLV and Fresno battle for Mountain West positioning, both headed to bowl games

October 24, 2023 283 3 minutes readNCAAF Picks & Parlays

UNLV vs Fresno State Odds: Intense College Football Showdown — Louis Grasse / Getty Images North America

Rebels
Bookmakers Sold
The Winner Is

The UNLV Rebels (6-1, 3-0) will take their winning streak to California in hopes of leaving Fresno with a quality win against the Bulldogs of Fresno State (6-1, 2-1). The Rebels beat Colorado last week (25-23) despite failing to cover as a 6.5-point home favorite, It was the first time UNLV failed to cover a game this season (6-1 ATS).

Fresno State has a sparkling record but has dropped three straight NCAAF games against the number and four of seven overall. The Bulldogs are a 7.5-point home favorite with a total of 58.5. Kick-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT and can be seen on FS1. Let’s begin our UNLV vs Fresno State odds preview.

Rebels Look To Add To Vegas Hardware

For over three decades the city of Las Vegas hung its hat on the 1990 UNLV Basketball team’s title and a couple of Pacific Coast League Baseball titles in the 80’s. Now the bright lights of Sin City have claimed its third major championship in two years after the Las Vegas Aces rolled to their second straight title this past week, and of course, the Golden Knights haven’t lost since winning the 2023 Stanley Cup.

Don’t think these things don’t rub off on other teams in other sports as fan expectations grow in what has become one of the top sports cities in the world. UNLV has been to exactly three bowl games in its history but they’re going to another this season after collecting some of the finest facilities in College Football. Head Coach Barry Odem is in his first year as a Rebel after spending 15 years as a player and coach for the Missouri Tigers.

At the heart of the UNLV turnaround was the change at quarterback after starter Doug Brumfield went down with an injury against Vanderbilt. In walks Jayden Maiava who is 4-0 as a starter after completing 27 of 36 for 353 yards against Colorado State. The Las Vegas product is now 47 of 61 passing for 610 yards over his last two games, including 2 touchdowns and no turnovers.

This week’s college football betting lines are higher than most expected in this one. Let’s move our UNLV vs Fresno State odds preview focus over to the Bulldogs.

Bookmakers Sold On Bulldogs

We’ll be honest, it was a massive surprise when we saw smaller books opened this game Fresno State -9. That number didn’t stick around long after an adjustment to -7.5 but it was still more than we thought after anticipating this number would land between four and six.

The fact that the Bulldogs had two weeks to prepare is a factor but we don’t always think time off equals an advantage except to heal. With many of the Bulldogs games starting late, much of the country loses sight of the fact that Fresno is 49-34- ATS (.590) against the number since 2016, a mark that has been exceeded by just six other College Football Teams.

However, much of that success has come as an underdog (23-9-1 ATS) but just 26-25 as a favorite, including a 12-12 ATS record as a home favorite of five or more points. Most won’t focus on this NCAA Football score, but it has all the makings of being one of the most entertaining games on the entire NCAA Football schedule. We conclude our UNLV vs Fresno State odds preview with our official selection.

The Winner Is In The Number

When we try to overthink these picks, it doesn’t work out. There are many sayings in sports gambling, but one we like to borrow from the world outside of gambling is the old if it’s too good to be true line. If we’re being real, this is the first real test for Odom’s team because they lost at Michigan and then beat Vanderbilt at home as a 4.5-point underdog and they were favored in every game since.

This is the first time they’ve gone on the road in a game they could win but are not supposed to. Until the Rebels clear this one final hurdle, we’re taking the Bulldogs and laying the points. That concludes our UNLV vs Fresno State odds preview, we wish you all the best with your wagers this week.

For NCAAF betting news, Rebels vs Bulldogs analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.