UNLV vs. Nevada picks, best bets for Week 7 matchup

The Fremont Cannon will be on the line at Mackay Stadium in Reno on Saturday as the UNLV Rebels will renew their in-state rivalry with the Nevada Wolf Pack. The game will kick off at 5 p.m. ET and will be streamed on Mountain West Video and Nevada Sports Net. It will also air locally in the Las Vegas area on Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network.

UNLV (4-1, 1-0 MWC) is fresh off a bye and is looking to push its winning streak to four games with a victory today. The last time the Rebels were in action, they were seen storming past Hawai’i in a 44-20 victory in their Mountain West opener. Running back Jet Thomas has been the engine for the offense so far with seven rushing touchdowns through five games this season.

Nevada (0-5, 0-1 MWC) is also coming off a bye and is still searching for its first victory of the 2023 campaign. The team last fell to Fresno State 27-9 two weeks ago, a game where they only managed to find the end zone in garbage time with 11 seconds left in the contest. One of the few bright spots has been defensive back Emany Johnson, who has a team-leading 33 tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble for the year.

SP+ Rankings

UNLV: 87 overall, 79 offense, 95 defense
Nevada: 128 overall, 125 offense, 123 defense

Injury update

UNLV

DB Jerrae Williams - Out indefinitely (Foot)

Nevada

RB Ashton Hayes - Out for season (Foot)
CB Isaiah Essissima - Out for season (Redshirt)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2023

UNLV: 5-0 ATS
Nevada: 3-2 ATS

Total in 2023

UNLV: Over 3-2
Nevada: Over 1-4

Team Pace

UNLV: 2.40 plays per minute of offense
Nevada: 2.17 plays per minute of offense

Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: UNLV -8
Total: 53.5
Moneyline: UNLV -340, Nevada +270

Opening line: UNLV -9
Opening total: 51.5

Weather

73 degrees, cloudy, 7 MPH winds SW with 14 MPH wind gusts

Our Best Bet for UNLV vs. Nevada

UNLV -8

This pick doesn’t require much thought. UNLV has already made huge strides under first-year head coach Barry Odom and it has a chance to be one of the surprise team in the Mountain West. They may also have something in promising redshirt freshman quarterback Jayden Maiava. Meanwhile, Nevada is one of the worst teams in the entire country and there’s not much hope for the Pack to string together wins as they dive into the second half of the season. Lay the points with the Rebels as they should easily bring the Fremont Cannon back to Las Vegas.