This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: UNLV vs. Syracuse
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UNLV vs. Syracuse Betting Odds for Week 6
Spread: UNLV -6.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook); Syracuse +6.5 (Caesars Sportsbook)
Total: Over 58.5 (Caesars Sportsbook); Under 58.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Moneyline: UNLV -225 (FanDuel); +200 Syracuse (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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UNLV vs. Syracuse Betting Picks for Week 6
UNLV entered this past week with more attention than any Rebel team had received since Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon ruled the college basketball world in the early '90s. That attention was due to the Matthew Sluka situation, and while you'd think losing your starting QB in the middle of the season would be an issue, the Rebels managed just fine without him, and they enter this Friday night matchup at 4-0 and ranked in the top-25.
Syracuse enters at 3-1 after beating Holy Cross this past week. That win came a week after the Orange's first loss of the season to Stanford. Though they're 3-1, the schedule has not been very strong, so it's hard to tell if this team has anything to offer right now, but one thing is for sure: this team can move the ball through the air. This will be Syracuse's first road game of the season as well, which presents a new challenge for this group of players.
Looking at the numbers, the most glaring mismatch appears to be Syracuse's passing attack, which ranks 3rd in the nation in yards per game, against UNLV's pass defense, which ranks 88th in yards allowed. However, we have to consider that the Rebels have been ahead in most of their games this season, which has led to the opposition throwing much more. When we look at the opposing passer rating, UNLV jumps up to 13th in the country. The Rebels' run defense has been stout, surrendering just 83 yards per game thus far. This team has been winning games because of its defense.
If we look at yards per game, the Orange's defense appears to be middle of the pack, ranking in the 60s in both categories. However, if we look at rushing yards per attempt, we see that Syracuse is actually quite bad against the run, as it allows 5.7 yards per carry. This is a problem, as UNLV is putting up 283 yards per game on the ground. This is where the game will be decided.
UNLV vs. Syracuse Expert Pick: UNLV -6.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
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UNLV vs. Syracuse Predictions for Week 6
UNLV is lacking balance on offense, and at some point, that's going to catch up with the Rebels, but not this week. The defense has been getting it done in all phases, and while Kyle McCord will present a new challenge this week, he can't do it alone. UNLV goes to 5-0 behind a strong run game and a stout defense. This will be week two with a new QB, so perhaps the Rebels find some balance. Any chance of a slow start is mitigated by the fact that this is a Friday night national TV game, and the crowd should be hyped. The Rebels get out early and don't look back.
UNLV 34 - Syracuse 21
