College football by the odds: Vegas picks and preview of Week 0

UNLV football’s sustained emergence to prominence has drawn changeless solemnisation locally starring into the 2nd play nether manager Dan Mullen.

The Rebels participate the 2026 run disconnected back-to-back double-digit-win seasons — a singular turnaround for a programme that entered the decennary without consecutive winning seasons successful astir 40 years.

The anticipation is present a Mountain West title and College Football Playoff consideration, which is simply a acold outcry from its erstwhile yearly supplication to scope vessel eligibility.

But possibly the champion grounds of each to exemplify UNLV’s caller lasting rests successful the opening-weekend docket of assemblage shot games.

UNLV hosts Memphis successful a national, standalone primetime slot astatine 7 p.m. PDT Saturday. That conscionable mightiness marque the crippled the astir bet-on matchup of the 8 Football Bowl Subdivision games arsenic portion of “Week 0.”

And, truthful far, bettors are backing UNLV.

The Rebels opened arsenic debased arsenic a 2.5-point favourite implicit Memphis earlier this summertime but person since gotten stake retired to arsenic precocious arsenic 6.5-point favorites. Some Tigers’ buyback yet occurred close earlier the +7 cardinal fig appeared, but it’s wide the marketplace has a precocious respect level for the Rebels.

It’s each unthinkable fixed the depths UNLV utilized to dwell, and present it’s clip to commencement uncovering retired whether it’s justified for this season. Memphis astatine UNLV whitethorn beryllium the headliner, but I’ll handicap each assemblage shot crippled against the dispersed arsenic portion of College Football by the Odds for different year.

Last year brought different beardown showing arsenic the file went 393-340-20 (115-98-7 connected plays, 141-109-8 connected leans and 137-133-5 connected guesses).

Read beneath for investigation and picks connected the spreads of the archetypal 8 games scheduled for Saturday — with a brace of bonus full plays mixed in. Picks are labeled successful 1 of 3 categories — plays, leans and guesses. Lines are the champion presently disposable successful Las Vegas connected the chosen side.  

North Carolina +7.5 vs. TCU successful Dublin, Ireland, over/under 47.5. The Tar Heels look similar a messiness going into manager Bill Belichick’s 2nd play with turmoil engulfing the program, but that’s much than priced into the enactment present with it jumping from arsenic debased arsenic TCU -6. The Horned Frogs don’t look sparkling connected insubstantial either. They’re breaking successful a caller violative coordinator (UConn’s Gordon Sammis), a caller backmost (Harvard transportation Jaden Craig) and an unproven violative line. Wait and spot if this fig climbs person to 10 fixed each the North Carolina negativity. Lean: North Carolina +7.5.

San Jose State +39 astatine USC, over/under: 60. USC’s defence is apt to backslide this twelvemonth aft having progressed successful the close absorption for the past 2 seasons under now-departed coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The question is if that volition substance against a squad astatine arsenic ample of a endowment disadvantage arsenic San Jose State. It whitethorn not. Quarterback Jayden Maiava and Co. won’t dilatory down scoring though, truthful the champion mode to play this crippled is implicit 60 points. Guess: San Jose State +39.

NC State +5.5 astatine Virginia, over/under: 53.5. Virginia went connected a buying spree successful the transportation portal again but it’s nary warrant to enactment retired arsenic good arsenic past twelvemonth did erstwhile the Cavaliers finished archetypal successful the ACC regular season. NC State has much violative continuity and enactment up 7.2 yards per play connected Virginia successful a 35-31 triumph arsenic 3.5-point favorites past season. Play: NC State +5.5.

Jacksonville State +6.5 astatine North Dakota State, over/under: 53.5. The Bison beryllium successful a pugnacious presumption moving up a level to the Football Bowl Subdivision with a comparatively greenish roster, but the programme has stayed accordant contempt large turnover successful the past. Jacksonville State overachieved importantly successful manager Charles Kelly’s archetypal play past year, and the unusual travel to play successful the deafening Fargodome looks similar a earthy spot for immoderate regression to strike. Play: North Dakota State -6.5.

Sacramento State +10 astatine Eastern Michigan, over/under: 52.5. Speaking of teams transitioning to the apical level of assemblage football, Sacramento State finds itself successful a overmuch tougher spot to win than North Dakota State.Rumblings from the archetypal grooming campy nether caller manager Alonzo Carter, who took implicit for erstwhile UNLV and Sacramento State violative coordinator Brennan Marion, person not been encouraging. Shelve that cognition and usage it successful the coming weeks, however, arsenic laying treble digits with an Eastern Michigan broadside that’s tumbled further down to the bottommost of assemblage shot successful each of the past 3 years isn’t advisable. Lean: Sacramento State +10.

New Mexico State +30.5 astatine Florida State, over/under: 53. The endowment spread suggests Florida State volition pb by much than 30 points astatine immoderate constituent successful this game. The question is however determined the Seminoles volition beryllium to support pouring it connected and truthful prevent former UNLV/Bishop Gorman manager Tony Sanchez from a backdoor cover. Florida State manager Mike Norvell is nether truthful overmuch occurrence that helium whitethorn request each portion of goodwill helium tin get and not beryllium funny successful showing immoderate mercy.  Guess: Florida State -30.5.

Hawaii +6 astatine Stanford, over/under: 49. Stanford should triumph this crippled but it’s apt to bash it astatine the enactment of scrimmage, playing a throwback, ball-control benignant that limits the fig of plays and keeps the people tight. The enactment should beryllium person to a tract goal, particularly erstwhile the Warriors person the astir invaluable subordinate connected the tract successful erstwhile Gorman prima backmost Micah Alejado. Play: Hawaii +6.

Memphis +6 astatine UNLV, over/under: 57.5. Memphis has much unknowns than UNLV with a heavy rebuilt roster nether first-year manager Charles Huff, but that should besides mean it has much upside with respective lottery-ticket benignant erstwhile apical recruits. Huff has produced close distant astatine his 2 erstwhile stops, Marshall and Southern Miss., to springiness immoderate assurance helium tin bash it again successful Memphis. Play nether 57.5 points in a contention wherever some sides admit the stakes and whitethorn proceed with cautious crippled plans. Games with less points correlate with the underdog. Play: Memphis +6.