Marteze Waller and the Fresno State Bulldogs battle Blake Decker and the Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels in a game that will feature two of the MWC’s best players to start this young season. In spite of its shortcomings this season, UNLV (2-4) has shown signs of life lately, winning two of their last three. The game kicks off Friday, Oct 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESP2.
In last week’s matchup, Fresno State got blown out by Utah State 56-14. Jamire Jordan had a solid performance in the loss, grabbing five receptions for 44 yards and one TD. Da’Mari Scott put up 56 receiving yards on two catches. UNLV also came up short, losing to San Jose State 33-27. Andrew Price had a quality performance for the Rebels, pulling in two receptions for 47 yards and one TD. Devonte Boyd had 61 receiving yards and a TD on three catches.
This week’s matchup between the Bulldogs and Rebels has even odds and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable currently.
With a 1-5 record both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Bulldogs will look to improve as they head into Week 7. The Rebels will have to keep Fresno State from hitting their quarterback. The Bulldogs average the 16th-most sacks in the nation with three per game. Fresno State’s special teams squad is a force to be reckoned with. They average 113.8 return yards per game, 21st in Division I.
As for their opponent, the Rebels fare well ATS, sitting at 4-2. However, they are only 2-4 SU this season. Chances are UNLV will continue to rely on its run game, where its 217.8 rushing yards per game ranks 23rd in the nation. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Bulldogs to keep up with UNLV’s defense in a few areas. The Rebels’ secondary will be looking to pad their stats when they face off against the Bulldogs, who rank 108th in terms of completion percentage with an average of only 52.5%. The UNLV defense will take advantage of every opportunity the Bulldogs give it. The Rebels generate 2.2 turnovers per game, 23rd in the country. It might not be too hard for the Rebels to start fast this week with Fresno State’s defense allowing 13.2 points in the first quarter. It’ll be hard to get the ball out of the hands of UNLV’s offense this week. The team’s average time of possession is 32:55, ranking them 22nd in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Nevada-Las Vegas, ATS Winner – Nevada-Las Vegas
Notes
Fresno State is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games,.
Fresno State 18-5-1 SU in its last 24 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of UNLV’s last 6 games on the road.
UNLV is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Fresno State is 1-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Fresno State is 1-2 SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, and winless (0-2 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
The UNLV defense has forced an average of 2.2 turnovers per game this season. Fresno State is 0-3 SU when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
