We'll have college football games stretching from Thursday through Monday for an incredible Week 1 slate.
But why wait until Thursday to dive into the action? Instead, I'm looking at key matchup advantages to watch in UNLV vs. Sam Houston on Friday, Aug. 29.
New Sam Houston head coach Phil Longo established an offensive identity in the Bearkats' Week 0 opener against Western Kentucky, so it's worth taking a deep dive into what we can expect against a UNLV defense that proved to be leaky last week.
Check out my college football picks and NCAAF predictions for Week 1 below.
UNLV vs Sam Houston Odds
| UNLV Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 60.5 -110o / -110u | -375 |
| Sam Houston Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 60.5 -110o / -110u | +290 |
A wild Week 0 saw inefficient offenses meet poor tackling fundamentals in nearly a half-dozen FBS games. The biggest offender of poor defense came in UNLV's clash against the heavy passing attack of Idaho State.
After averaging 11 missed tackles per game in 2024, new head coach Dan Mullen fielded a UNLV defense that whiffed on 17 tackle opportunities.
Idaho State attempted 52 passes and posted 555 total yards. The Rebels defense allowed 7.2 average yards per play to the Bengals, leaving defensive coordinator Paul Guenther with plenty of teaching moments leading to a Week 1 trip to Sam Houston.
Despite a non-covering effort against Western Kentucky, new Sam Houston head coach Phil Longo established a new offensive identity.
The Bearkats outgained the high-flying Western Kentucky offense from a yards per play perspective, averaging 6.3 on an equal balance of run and pass attempts.
Quarterback Hunter Watson and running back Alton McCaskill each posted a run longer than 50 yards. Watson connected with eight different targets in the passing game, with running back Elijah Green doing the most damage from the backfield.
A red-zone turnover and a poor 2-for-17 mark in third- and fourth-down attempts kept the Bearkats offense from covering the closing number against the Hilltoppers.
Our updated Action Network Power Ratings call for UNLV to be favored on the road in Huntsville by just 5.5 points, giving value to an opening consensus of Sam Houston +10.5.
Pick: Sam Houston +10.5 or Better
