UNLV opens as early favorites against Memphis and Hawaii, prime playoff hurdles

UNLV football is expected to contend for an at-large bid in the 12-team College Football Playoff this season, and the team’s first two games — at least according to oddsmakers — should offer an early sense of whether those hopes hold up.

The Rebels opened as 4.5-point favorites against visiting Memphis at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 29, according to Circa Sports, which released lines for the season’s first two weeks Tuesday. Within minutes, the line moved UNLV to a 6-point favorite against Memphis.

UNLV is a slimmer 1.5-point favorite the following week at Hawaii on Sept. 5 — a team that always keeps things close against UNLV, particularly at home.

Both Memphis and Hawaii see themselves as playoff contenders too, meaning UNLV will need to be sharp right out of the gate. Still, the Rebels don’t necessarily need a perfect record to secure a playoff spot, Dan Mullen said last week at Mountain West Media Days.

And if the Rebels were to survive Memphis and Hawaii, their next two games are on the road — Sept. 12 at North Texas and Sept. 26 at Akron.

“I certainly think with our schedule, if we did go undefeated, I’d imagine we’d be in,” Mullen said.

William Hill lists UNLV at +800 to make the playoff, the second-best odds among Group of Six hopefuls behind Boise State’s +500. North Dakota State — a new Mountain West member playing its first season in the FBS — also sits at +800, alongside Army, Navy and James Madison, last season’s Group of Five playoff participant. The Group of Six conferences are: the Pac-12, American, CUSA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt.

Memphis, meanwhile, is +1200. The Rebels-Memphis matchup is the Fox national game of the week, a spotlight UNLV is embracing.

“It’s exciting that our (first game) is one of the big games in college football (that week),” Mullen said. “You are at Allegiant Stadium to kick off the season against Memphis. I mean, that’s a huge game.”

The Rebels report to fall camp next week. As for the playoffs, the team isn’t looking that far ahead — although it’s certainly on the radar of its fan base.

“The goal is to be a better team at the end of the year than the beginning of the year,” defensive lineman Lucas Conti said last week at the league’s media event.