Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Odds indicate UNLV football will contend for bowl berth

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Jeff Mulvihill Jr. / instaimage

UNLV’s coach Tony Sanchez celebrates his first Fremont Cannon win during the Mountain West game between the UNLV Rebels and the UNR Wolfpack at Mackay Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Reno.

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Will UNLV football become bowl eligible this season?
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If you are looking for a sign that the UNLV football team is headed in the right direction, consider the following: The Rebels' win total at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook was set at 5 1/2 games.

That means the Rebels, who had a 3-9 record in 2015 in Tony Sanchez’s inaugural season, are expected to contend to reach a bowl-game in his second. If they win six games to cover the over on the win-total wager, they would be eligible to be selected for a bowl game. Last year, the UNLV win total was set at just two — a true sign of improvement.

Football coaches and players from the Mountain West will be at Cosmopolitan the next two days for the league’s media days, surely answering questions about the team to beat in the upcoming season.

Odds posted at the Superbook indicate it’s a two-team race between perennial power Boise State and last year’s champion, San Diego State.

It lists Boise State as minus-175 favorites to win the league, meaning gamblers would need to wager $17.50 to profit $10. San Diego State is plus-250, or $25 in return for every $10 wagered. Air Force is a plus-400, San Jose is 16-to-1 and hometown UNLV is 40-to-1.

UNLV closes the season over Thanksgiving weekend at home against UNR in the Fremont Cannon rivalry game. Reno’s win total is 7 and it is 20-to-1 to win the league.

San Diego State’s win total is at 9, and it’s been bet on heavily. The over is listed at minus-160; the under is at plus-140. Boise State’s win total is 10 at minus-110.

Utah State is 25-to-1 to win the league, Fresno State is 40-to-1, Colorado State 35-to-1, Wyoming and Hawaii at 100-to-1, and New Mexico 80-to-1.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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