This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: UNLV vs. San Jose State Odds, Picks, and Predictions
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If UNLV wants another shot at Boise State in the Mountain West title game, it will need to win out. Also, it will need Colorado State to drop a game because CSU missed both Boise and UNLV on the schedule. Friday night, the Rebels pay a visit to San Jose to take on the Spartans. San Jose State is 6-4, and it could score a nice win to derail a conference rival. Let's dive into the numbers for Friday.
UNLV vs. San Jose State Odds
Spread: UNLV -7.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook); San Jose State +7.5 (ESPN Bet)
Total: Over 59.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook), 60.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Moneyline: UNLV -270 (DraftKings Sportsbook), San Jose State +240 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
The Rebels are road favorites and will need to win by more than a touchdown to cover the spread. Will they be able to pull it off? Or are the Spartans going to keep it close?
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UNLV vs. San Jose State Betting Picks
The Spartans have six wins, but none of them are impressive. On the other hand, UNLV has a couple of strong wins. Its two losses came to Syracuse (by a mere three points) and Boise State. Actually, looking at these two teams' defeats at the hands of the Broncos could be illustrative. UNLV played Boise close, losing 29-24. San Jose State, well, it lost 42-21.
UNLV ranks 46th in SP+, while San Jose State ranks 86th. In terms of my betting pick, though, I'm not looking at the result but the score. The Rebels rank 21st offensively in SP+ but 81st defensively. San Jose State ranks 90th defensively. On top of that, UNLV has given up 260.5 passing yards per game. The Spartans like to air it out, and their best player is receiver Nick Nash. Nash has been targeted 156 times and tallied 95 catches for 1,282 yards and 14 touchdowns. UNLV has played games with scores of 59-14, 44-41, and 50-34, among others. I'm expecting quite a few points in this one.
UNLV vs. San Jose State Best Bet: Over 59.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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UNLV vs. San Jose State Betting Predictions
The Spartans will air it out. Nash will get his. The team has issues with turnovers and uncertainty at quarterback, though, which hampers things a bit. UNLV is paced offensively by quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, who has thrown for 14 touchdowns against three picks and rushed 99 times for 558 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games since taking over.
The Rebels have allowed at least 20 points in each of their last six games. I do think UNLV will win, and will probably cover the spread, but the team is on the road, and a couple big pass plays from SJSU and things could get close. That would certainly help these teams hit the over. These two teams should at least combine for over 50 points – I would be surprised if they don't – and that's just a short hop away from 60 or even 70 points.
