In a rematch of last season’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Kansas and UNLV meet on Friday night at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.
The Jayhawks fell out of the Top 25 on Monday after getting upset on the road at Illinois in Week 2. Meanwhile, the Rebels have had an impressive start to the campaign, securing blowout wins over Houston and Utah Tech.
This was an entertaining bowl game with plenty of points, and I think we'll get that again here in Kansas City. My UNLV vs Kansas prediction is below.
UNLV vs Kansas Pick
- Pick: Over 57.5
I'm expecting plenty of points and targeting the Kansas vs. UNLV over for my college football best bet.
UNLV vs Kansas Odds
| UNLV Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -112 | 57.5 -108o / -112u | +270 |
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -108 | 57.5 -108o / -112u | -340 |
- Point Spread: UNLV +9.5 · Kansas -9.5
- Total: Over/Under 57.5 (-108o / -112u)
- Moneyline: UNLV +270 · Kansas -340
UNLV vs Kansas Preview
UNLV Rebels Betting Preview: Rebels Trending in Right Direction
Not many coaches have a debut season with their new program quite like Barry Odom did with UNLV last year. He guided the school to its first bowl game since 2013 and to nine wins for the first time since 1984.
The 2023 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year matched his defensive expertise with a young, up-and-coming offensive coordinator, Brennan Marion, to bring an exciting style to Las Vegas.
However, there was a big question coming into this season. How were the Rebels going to replace quarterback Jayden Maiava?
Odom hit the transfer portal to bring in two quality signal callers from the FCS level — Matthew Sluka (Holy Cross) and Hajj-Malik Williams (Campbell). Sluka earned the start in both victories and showed his ability both as a passer and with his legs.
If his fine play continues, this could be another special season at UNLV.
Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview: Can Daniels Stay Healthy?
When coach Lance Leipold was hired, he knew it was going to take time to build Kansas into a respectable football program. However, he has everyone believing the Jayhawks can be more than a basketball school.
KU is fresh off its first winning season since 2007, and Leipold has led the program to its first back-to-back bowl trips since the 2006-07 teams.
The key to the success has been the offense, which has been led by great quarterback play. Whether that has been Jalon Daniels or Jason Bean, both have had success under Leipold.
The pressure is now all on Daniels after Bean departed in the offseason. He hasn't had great injury luck over the past two seasons, but there is no doubting his talent in Leipold’s offense.
How to Bet My UNLV vs Kansas Prediction
In the bowl game, the total closed at 65 points. I don’t see what has changed enough to cause this total to be over a full touchdown lower.
So, my best bet is for the game to fly over 57.5 points at FanDuel, which I would bet up to 59. I also don’t hate a look at the prop offered for both teams to score 20 or 25 points.
If we start with the Jayhawks, they bring back a veteran roster, but their main losses are along the defensive line. Five players who started last year departed, leaving a big hole for a team that already struggled to stop the run.
Kansas ranked last among Power 4 programs in defensive stuff rate. This is the same squad that ranked in the bottom 20 of P4 teams in line yards, rush success and rush explosiveness on defense.
This will be an area UNLV looks to attack, especially as the Rebels rank 20th in the country in yards per carry (6.29).
I’m also not buying the Mountain West squad’s improvement on defense after playing Houston and Utah Tech. Against the better teams in the MWC in 2023, UNLV allowed 31 points at Fresno State, 37 to San Jose State and 44 to Boise State.
Away from home last season, the Rebels’ games would have gone over this same total in five of seven. Meanwhile, only two Kansas home games finished with fewer than 57.5 points in 2023.
You do want to ensure you catch this before the key number of 59, which had the fourth-highest hit rate from Collin Wilson’s research last summer.
This was a high-scoring affair in the bowl game, and I expect that to happen again.
Pick: Over 57.5 (Play to 59)
How to Watch UNLV vs Kansas
| Location: | Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS |
| Date: | Friday, Sept. 13 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Kansas-UNLV Betting Trends
- UNLV is 2-0 against the spread this season.
- The over and under have cashed one time apiece in the Rebels' games.
- Kansas has gone 0-2 ATS in 2024.
- The under has hit in both of the Jayhawks' games this season.
NCAAF Weather: UNLV vs Kansas Forecast
