The beginning of UNLV’s 2025 season, its first with Dan Mullen as the Rebels’ head coach, wasn’t as promising as many hoped.
UNLV hosted FCS Idaho State and just barely won, 38-31. Some worried if the Rebels were going to struggle against FBS competition.
But they went ahead and defeated Sam Houston 38-21 on the road. Then they earned a Power Four win, a 30-23 victory over UCLA. They’ve earned the No. 5 spot in this week’s HERO Sports Group of Five Top 25 media poll.
Now they’ll go against Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks are 0-2 after losing to Wisconsin and Rutgers, both on the road. But they were expected to be one of the top teams in the MAC, so this could end up being one of the best G5 games of the week.
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UNLV vs. Miami (Ohio) College Football Betting
Miami (Ohio) is a +2.5 college football betting odds underdog against UNLV, with the Over/Under being 49.5. The moneyline for UNLV is -135, while it’s +110 for Miami (Ohio).
UNLV vs. Miami (Ohio) On TV
The matchup between UNLV and Miami (OH) will be televised on ESPNU.
The game will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 20. The contest is taking place at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.
UNLV vs. Miami (Ohio) Prediction
I predict UNLV will win and cover the 2.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 49.5 total points.
Even though this game is on the road, I think the Rebels will control this contest on both sides of the ball. On offense, UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea has shined and has made some timely throws while also hurting teams on the ground. He’s thrown for 647 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception with a 75.4% completion rate. He’s also rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown.
But he’s not UNLV’s only offensive playmaker. Jai’Den Thomas has rushed for 273 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 8.5 yards per carry.
It’s easy to look at UNLV’s game against Idaho State in Week 0, a game where the Rebels struggled and needed to come back to win against an FCS opponent, and think UNLV isn’t that great. You could even point out that though UNLV is 3-0, the Rebels currently haven’t beaten anyone with a single win otherwise.
And that’s true. But it’s also true that UNLV has done everything it’s needed to in order to win, including scoring at least 30 points in each of those matchups.
I think Miami (Ohio) is a solid program, and the RedHawks still may be competitive in the MAC. But their non-conference schedule is brutal, and I don’t expect them to get their first win of the season in this matchup, either.
