{"id":118916,"date":"2024-09-25T13:48:11","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T20:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/?p=118916"},"modified":"2024-09-25T13:48:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T20:48:38","slug":"fbs-cfb-betting-lines-picks-predictions-mountain-west-week-5-rcrc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/herosports.com\/fbs-cfb-betting-lines-picks-predictions-mountain-west-week-5-rcrc\/","title":{"rendered":"CFB Betting Lines: Picks & Predictions For Mountain West Teams In Week 5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A lot will be on the line when Fresno State and UNLV meet in Allegiant Stadium on Saturday. The loser is almost certainly out of the race for one of five guaranteed spots in the College Football Playoff, and they\u2019re on the verge of being eliminated from the hunt for a Mountain West<\/a> Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A win at 10 p.m. ET Saturday on FS1 will give Fresno State an inside track to the conference title game. The Bulldogs don\u2019t play Boise State or San Diego State this season, so their toughest remaining Mountain West game will be at home against Colorado State on Nov. 23. UNLV still has to play Boise State, Oregon State, and San Diego State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rebels have put together three straight wins, two of which have come against Big 12 teams Houston and Kansas. But the complexion of Saturday\u2019s game changed Tuesday night when UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka announced he\u2019ll sit out the rest of the season<\/a> reportedly because of a dispute over NIL payments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNLV will turn the offense over to Cameron Friel, a former Mountain West Freshman of the Year who has played in just five games the past two years, or athletic transfer Hajj-Malik Williams, who set program records at Campbell with 8,236 passing yards and 58 touchdown passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresno State\u2019s passing attack is led by senior quarterback Mikey Keene, who completed 78.8% of his passes last week against New Mexico. His top two receivers, Jalen Moss and Mac Dalena, have caught a combined 33 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns. <\/p>\n\n\n

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UNLV vs. Fresno State Betting Line  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

UNLV is a 1.5-point college football betting odds<\/a> favorite, and the Over\/Under is 48.5 points. The Rebels are 14-6 against the spread in their past 20 games as a favorite at home. Fresno State is 5-15 ATS in its past 20 games as an underdog on the road. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 19-7, and they\u2019ve won six in a row, including a 31-24 victory at home last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNLV vs. Fresno State Prediction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I predict Fresno State wins 24-14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a matchup of one of the best passing attacks in the Mountain West against UNLV\u2019s defense, which is giving up a conference-leading 297.3 yards a game. Usually I\u2019d go defense, but the sudden change at quarterback is going to hurt the Rebels, especially because Sluka\u2019s legs have been UNLV\u2019s most consistent offensive weapon at times. I think the Rebels\u2019 defense keeps it close, but Keene leads the Bulldogs into the Mountain West title race. <\/p>\n\n\n

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