The UNLV Rebels and Houston Cougars will each be playing their first game of the season on Saturday, August 31st. This game will be played at TDECU Stadium in Houston and televised on FS1.

With kickoff set for 7:00 ET, the Houston Cougars are hosting the UNLV Rebels at TDECU Stadium in Houston. This is the first game of the season for both teams, and the over/under line is currently at 54.5 points. The money line odds have Houston as the slight -2.5 point favorite. The game will be broadcast on FS1, and the current money line odds are +113 for UNLV and -137 for Houston.

UNLV Rebels vs Houston Cougars

UNLV Records And Recent Play

Houston Records And Recent Play

UNLV Offense Breakdown

UNLV’s offense was effective on third down last season, converting 49% of their opportunities, which was the 6th best rate in the country. They also ranked 13th in scoring, putting up 34.4 points per game. The Rebels were a run-heavy offense, averaging 173.9 rushing yards per game, which was 30th in the nation. In the passing game, they averaged 239.1 yards per game. Their per attempt numbers were strong, as they averaged 8.3 yards per pass attempt (15th) and 13.3 yards per completion (18th).

Jai’Den Thomas returns as the top running back after rushing for 503 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. UNLV also added Michael Allen from NC State to the backfield. At quarterback, the Rebels are looking at Matthew Sluka, who transferred from Holy Cross, as their top option, as Cameron Friel, their top returning quarterback, did not record any stats last season. UNLV will look to build on their strong rushing attack from last season as they head into the new year.

Houston Offense Breakdown

Donovan Smith returns as Houston’s top quarterback after throwing for 2,800 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. He finished with a passer rating of 90, but also threw 13 interceptions. The Cougars added Zeon Chriss from Louisiana, who threw for 1,222 yards last season. Houston’s passing game averaged 241.5 yards per game, ranking 65th in the country, and the team was 77th in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game.

In the running game, Houston averaged 118.7 yards per game, ranking 106th nationally. Parker Jenkins, who rushed for 464 yards last season, is the top returning running back for the Cougars. The team’s leading returning receiver is Joseph Manjack IV, who had 577 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season. Houston also added Devan Williams from Tulsa, who recorded 399 receiving yards last year.

UNLV Team Defense

UNLV’s defense allowed 28.6 points per game last season, ranking 80th in the nation. They struggled to stop the run, giving up 164.4 rushing yards per game, which placed them 114th in college football. In the passing game, the Rebels allowed 253.7 yards per game, ranking 148th. Opposing quarterbacks completed 61.2% of their passes and had a combined passer rating of 91.1.

UNLV Team Defense

Houston’s defense struggled last season, allowing 31.5 points per game. They had a tough time stopping the run, giving up 170.1 rushing yards per game, which ranked 125th in the nation. In the passing game, the Cougars allowed 255.3 yards per game, placing them 153rd nationally. Opposing quarterbacks completed 69.5% of their passes against Houston last season.

UNLV vs Houston Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, UNLV has an ATS record of 5-0 while averaging 40 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
• In their last five games at home, the Houston Cougars have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 21 points per game in these contests.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the UNLV Rebels have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-2.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Houston Cougars have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.

Rebels vs Cougars Prediction

Our projection for the combined score in this week one matchup between UNLV and Houston is 62 points, making the over (54.5) a strong bet. Houston is the slight -2.5 point favorite, but we expect UNLV to not only cover the spread but to win straight-up, with a final score of 32-30 in their favor.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.