College Football: Syracuse vs UNLV Preview, Predictions, Odds, and Best Bets for Friday Night Game

• #25 UNLV is now a 6.5-point favorite over Syracuse in Week 6 College Football action on Friday, October 4
• The Rebels are one of only 10 teams in College Football that are undefeated against the spread
• Don’t miss the Syracuse vs UNLV odds and best bets for Friday Night Football below

Not many teams could lose their starting quarterback and then promptly go out and play their best game of the season. That’s what happened to #25 UNLV (4-0, 1-0 Mountain West) last week, and online sportsbooks are bullish on them again on Friday Night when they face Syracuse (3-1, 1-1 ACC).

The Rebels are listed as hefty favorites in the College Football odds, after they recently moved into the AP top-25 for the first time in program history.

Syracuse vs UNLV Odds

As of Wednesday night, UNLV is a 6.5-point favorite at most books, but can be found as high as -7 at others. They opened up as 5.5-point favorites, but it wasn’t long before that number was bet up. At the current spread, the Orange are drawing the bulk of the tickets and handle, but there’s plenty of reasons to buy the Rebels, even at a lofty price.

Kickoff is slated for 9:00 pm ET at Allegiant Stadium, in Las Vegas, NV, with FS1 providing the broadcast coverage.

Odds as of October 2. Be sure to check out the best Caesars Sportsbook promos before placing a bet on any Week 6 College Football matchup.

No Sluka No Problem

UNLV raced out to a 3-0 start behind the strong play of starting QB Matthew Sluka. Then, he promptly left the team due to a NIL dispute. Almost any other program would take a step back, but the Rebels didn’t miss a beat in Week 5, hammering Fresno State 59-14 as 2.5-point favorites.

With Sluka gone, Hajj-Malik Williams wasted no time winning over the fan base. The sixth-year senior led an unstoppable UNLV attack, throwing three touchdowns, while rushing for 119 yards and a score.

Williams broke numerous school records during a decorated career at Campbell, where he appeared in 41 games. He’s the same age as Trevor Lawrence (no, that’s not a typo), and his dual-threat abilities perfectly suit the Rebels’ Go-Go offense with its triple-option concepts.

Hajj-Malik Williams is already better than Matthew Sluka

UNLV will be just fine pic.twitter.com/5hlG8Mmmxk

— The Jump Sports (@TheJumpSports) September 28, 2024

UNLV averaged over 8 yards per play in Week 5, and rank top-20 in the nation in scoring and points per play. The offense alone would make them a contender for the Group of 5’s automatic bid in the College Football playoff odds, but their defense is no slouch either.

The Rebels forced four turnovers versus Fresno State, and are yielding only 2.8 yards per rush. No opponent has scored more than 20 points against them, and three of their four wins have been by a 20+ point margin.

McCord Will Need to be Magnificent

If the Orange are going to stay competitive with UNLV, it will likely fall on Kyle McCord’s shoulders. The Ohio State transfer is among the top-10 in the country in passing yards and touchdowns, and is fresh off a 4 TD performance versus Holy Cross.

Syracuse throws the ball at one of the highest rates in the country, but they count on their run game to keep defenses honest. They ran the ball efficiently in each of their three wins, but couldn’t gain any traction on the ground in their loss to Stanford.

The Cardinal are a top-16 rush defense in the country, but UNLV is even more stout against the run. If the Rebels can neutralize the Orange’s running game and make them one-dimensional, then the UNLV pass rush can attack.

The Rebels have generated 61 pressures through four games. They’ve turned those into 41 QB hurries and 13 sacks, giving them a 10.3% sack rate, one of the top-10 marks in the country.

Like most quarterbacks, McCord’s production dips when the heat is on. His completion percentage falls below 58% under duress, while his average target depth goes from nearly nine yards to 5.7.

Syracuse vs UNLV Prediction

Syracuse’s defense, meanwhile, is not a unit to fear. They’re allowing 26 points and 388 yards per game, despite not having faced an upper-tier offense. That will change on Friday, and we shouldn’t expect a dip in the UNLV production.

Williams is a natural fit to run the Rebels scheme, and the program looks like the team to beat in the Mountain West. They’ve also covered all four of their games so far, beating the number by at least 12.5 points each time out.

UNLV 2024 ATS Results

UNLV is one of only 10 teams in the country that are still undefeated against the spread. That streak won’t last forever, but this looks like a matchup they can exploit and win by margin. They’ve already beaten two Power 4 opponents this season, and the Orange will be the third.

• Pick: UNLV -6.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook

The college football season is in full swing and this Friday night, Syracuse will take on UNLV in what promises to be an exciting matchup. Both teams are coming off of losses in their previous games and will be looking to bounce back with a win.

Syracuse comes into this game with a record of 1-1, having lost to Rutgers in their last outing. The Orange will be looking to get their offense back on track after struggling to put up points in their last game. Quarterback Tommy DeVito will need to step up and lead the team to victory if they hope to come out on top against UNLV.

On the other side, UNLV is also 1-1 on the season, with their only win coming against Eastern Washington. The Rebels will be looking to build off of that win and continue to improve as the season progresses. Quarterback Doug Brumfield has shown promise early on and will look to lead his team to victory against Syracuse.

As for the odds, Syracuse is currently favored by 10 points in this matchup. The over/under is set at 55 points, indicating that oddsmakers are expecting a relatively high-scoring game. Both teams have struggled defensively so far this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a shootout on Friday night.

In terms of predictions, this game could go either way. Both teams have shown flashes of potential but have also had their fair share of struggles. Syracuse will have the home-field advantage, which could give them the edge in this matchup. However, UNLV has shown that they can put up points and could make things interesting if they can get their offense going early.

As for the best bets, taking the over on the point total could be a safe bet given both teams’ defensive struggles. Additionally, betting on Syracuse to cover the 10-point spread could also be a good option, especially if they can get their offense clicking early on.

Overall, this Friday night matchup between Syracuse and UNLV promises to be an exciting game with plenty of scoring opportunities. Both teams will be looking to bounce back from their previous losses and secure a much-needed win. It will be interesting to see which team comes out on top in what should be a close and competitive game.