Sports betting: UNLV might find way to win, but total is better play

Sports betting: UNLV might find way to win, but total is better play By Adam Burke VSiN August 28, 2026 - 6:13 pm Life after Anthony Colandrea begins for UNLV on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium, a game some have called a “College Football Playoff eliminator” against Memphis. With one CFP berth available for the highest‑ranked Group of Six team, both programs could be in contention. Memphis is listed around 7‑1 or 8‑1 to win the American Conference, while UNLV is favored to capture the retooled Mountain West Conference title. UNLV’s route to a league championship may pass through FBS newcomer North Dakota State, which jumped from FCS this season and could be the second‑best team in a weakened MWC. The Pac‑12’s restructuring took Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State elsewhere, leaving the Rebels an easier path on paper, though that may hinder their ability to rank high enough for the Group of Six summit. Colandrea finished last year with 3,459 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and was the team’s second‑leading rusher with 649 yards on 127 carries. The return of Jai’Den Thomas should smooth the transition to quarterbacks Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji, but Colandrea’s passing ability will be missed until proven otherwise. He led the Mountain West in passing and recorded the most single‑season yards for UNLV since Sam King threw for 3,778 yards in 1981. Arnold, a 21‑year‑old five‑star recruit who committed to Oklahoma in 2023, spent two seasons there before transferring to Auburn. After earning Gatorade National Player of the Year honors at Guyer High School in Texas, he has accumulated fewer passing yards over three college seasons than Colandrea did in his lone year with the Rebels. Whether this marks a fresh start under offensive head Dan Mullen, with Orji as a complementary running back who averaged about five yards per carry over three seasons at Michigan, remains to be seen. The defense returns just three starters alongside Arnold and Orji, though Thomas is among them and is considered the top performer on that side of the ball. Only three defensive starters are coming back, a unit that clearly needs an overhaul. Paul Guenther was hired as defensive coordinator in April but failed to install his schemes during spring work, a shortfall that may have contributed to the team allowing the 126th‑most yards per play among 136 FBS squads. UNLV supporters should anticipate growing pains, a reality mirrored at Memphis under first‑year head coach Charles Huff. Ryan Silverfield was offered the same position at Arkansas—despite being their third choice—and accepted it, prompting Huff to move to Memphis after one season with Southern Miss. While at Marshall, Huff guided the Thundering Herd to a Sun Belt title, but the conference declined to offer him a new contract or raises for his assistants, leading him to depart with a substantial portion of the roster. Huff brought several Southern Miss players with him, yet the Memphis squad is largely a new‑look group featuring a fresh quarterback battle. West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and former Ohio State recruit Air Noland are competing to run offensive coordinator Kevin Decker’s scheme. Decker previously served at Old Dominion, where the Monarchs ranked 17th in yards per play and 29th in scoring with 32 points per game. ODU quarterback Colton Joseph, who moved to Wisconsin, finished 43rd nationally and fourth among quarterbacks in rushing yards with 1,007. As a result, the Rebels may encounter a dual‑threat attack led by an inexperienced skill‑position corps. Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden could emerge as one of the nation’s top Group of Six running backs. On the offensive side, Huff has added several Southern Miss players to fit into defensive coordinator Lance Guidry’s scheme. That unit struggled last season, and few Sun Belt offenses have been able to contain UNLV’s previous approach. **Prediction:** “I’m looking for points astatine Allegiant connected Saturday night, truthful implicit 56.5 is my champion stake successful this game.”