The UNLV Rebels and Houston Cougars meet in a Saturday Week 1 contest. The opening kickoff from TDECU Stadium will be at 7 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UNLV vs. Houston odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
UNLV was a bit of a surprise team in 2023. Under 1st-year coach Barry Odom, the Rebels averaged 34.4 points per game while allowing 28.8 PPG. They went 9-5 and played in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game (a 44-20 loss to Boise State) and a bowl game (49-36 loss to Kansas in Guaranteed Rate Bowl).
The strengths for Nevada-Las Vegas heading into Odom’s 2nd year in the desert are the offensive line and receiving corps.
Houston went a disappointing 4-8 last fall. The Cougars bring in a new coach, Willie Fritz who comes from Tulane.