The UNLV Rebels take on the North Texas Mean Green in Denton, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is set for 3:45 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
UNLV is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -178. North Texas, meanwhile, enters as a +3.5 underdog and is +146 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 56.5 total points.
Here’s my UNLV vs. North Texas prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 12.
UNLV vs North Texas Prediction
- UNLV vs. North Texas Pick: UNLV ML (-178)
My North Texas vs. UNLV best bet is on the Rebels to win. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
UNLV vs North Texas Odds
| UNLV Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 56.5 -110o / -110u | -178 |
| North Texas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 56.5 -110o / -110u | +146 |
- UNLV vs North Texas point spread: UNLV -3.5 (-110), North Texas +3.5 (-110)
- UNLV vs North Texas over/under: 56.5 (-110o / -110u)
- UNLV vs North Texas moneyline: UNLV -178, North Texas +146
UNLV vs North Texas College Football Preview
UNLV Rebels Betting Preview: Raising the Bar
The 2026 UNLV football team enters its second season under head coach Dan Mullen after a phenomenal 2025 campaign in his first year at the helm.
Mullen adds a ton of recruiting experience to this UNLV program, given his extensive experience landing transfer portal additions while coaching in the SEC at Mississippi State.
Several new faces join a UNLV program that has made three consecutive Mountain West Championship appearances, resulting in extremely high expectations for Mullen’s bunch after winning 30 games over the last three seasons.
In by far the biggest move for Mullen’s Rebels this past offseason, UNLV landed quarterback Jackson Arnold in the transfer portal after he spent three seasons playing in the SEC, making 18 starts for Auburn and Oklahoma.
UNLV running back Jai’Den “Jet” Thomas returns for his final year of collegiate eligibility after recording 2,457 yards on the ground and 33 touchdowns throughout his three-year stint in Vegas.
The Rebels' receiving corps features standout preseason first-team All-Mountain West wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons, who will play alongside slot receiver DeAngelo Irvin Jr.
New defensive coordinator Paul Guenther aims to orchestrate a major bounce-back effort for this unit after it ranked near the bottom of the Mountain West in both total defense and scoring defense last season.
Former Purdue DC Mike Scherer comes in to coach the linebackers, bringing along several key defensive additions to Vegas, highlighted by senior Holy Cross transfer Cam Santee.
Preseason All-Mountain West defensive lineman Lucas Conti and safety Jake Pope lead the physical development and veteran leadership on defense.
UNLV boasts remarkable athleticism and physicality on the defensive side of the football, and I expect the Rebels’ front seven to play a major role against North Texas on Saturday afternoon.
North Texas Mean Green Betting Preview: Starting From Scratch
Neal Brown takes over as the North Texas head coach in 2026 after Eric Morris left for Oklahoma State this past offseason.
The first-year Mean Green head man is expected to rejuvenate this bunch on both sides of the football after Morris took a whopping 18 coaches and 19 players with him to Stillwater.
The Mean Green have a long road ahead after returning zero starters from their 2025 roster, with 72 new faces arriving in Denton in what will be a complete rebuild from top to bottom.
North Texas quarterback Tayven Jackson and former West Virginia star running back Jahiem White will anchor this new-look North Texas offense.
Brown’s offense relies heavily on a run-first philosophy with an Air Raid-adjacent system, though his new offensive schematics were largely unimpressive in North Texas’ Week 1 loss to Indiana.
North Texas’ new coach added vital transfer portal experience to the 2026 roster, including OLB Aaron Alexander and DE Udoka Ezeani, among others.
The Mean Green were dealt a terrible hand in summer training camp, with cornerback Caden Jenkins tearing his ACL, which could definitely result in a significant weak spot for their secondary.
Following the best finish in program history (12-2 in 2025), Brown has a ton of work to do on both sides of the ball if the Mean Green want to be bowl-eligible in 2026.
UNLV vs North Texas Pick, Betting Analysis
While the Mean Green have been on an absolute tear over the last few years, I expect it to take some time for Brown’s bunch to gel given how many new faces are in the locker room this season.
UNLV is very well-coached on both sides of the ball and has returned many starters from last season’s team. I expect that to play a major factor in Saturday afternoon’s contest.
That said, I favor backing the road favorite Rebels on the moneyline. I'm far more confident in them winning outright as opposed to covering with the hook on the road.
Pick: UNLV ML (-178)
UNLV vs North Texas Betting Trends
