Friday, Nov. 22
10 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Pacific
Fox Sports 1
The UNLV Rebels are playing on a Friday night. It could be the best possible thing for them this week. Why would we say that? It’s not because of getting extra rest for next week. It’s because of the dynamics in the Mountain West Conference title chase. UNLV knows that Colorado State needs to lose to Fresno State on Saturday night in order for the Rams to fall out of second place and give Vegas a chance to meet Boise State in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game, a rematch of the regular-season battle between the two teams.
If UNLV was playing on Saturday night, it might be tempted to scoreboard-watch or think about what Colorado State is doing on the field. If word got out to UNLV players that Colorado State led by two touchdowns midway through the Fresno State game, maybe the Rebels wouldn’t be quite as motivated to play. They might not finish the game with the same focus or concentration. This way, playing on Friday, UNLV coach Barry Odom doesn’t have to worry about getting his players’ attention. UNLV can take care of business, fly home, and watch the CSU-Fresno State game on Saturday, hoping the Rams falter. This setup on Friday makes it easier for UNLV to take care of business .., but now the question becomes, “Can UNLV do the job?”
UNLV Rebels-San Jose State Spartans Odds
Spread: UNLV -7.5 (-106), San Jose State +7.5 (-114)
Total: 61.5 (Over -110, Under -110)
Underdog moneyline: San Jose State +220
Hear T.J. and Jason Powers breakdown this week’s top underdogs on the “3 Dog Thursday Podcast” by clicking play below,
Can San Jose Pull a Shocker?
The San Jose State Spartans jumped out to an early 14-0 lead over Boise State last weekend, but they couldn’t maintain that lead and got blown out of the water in the second half. San Jose State is going bowling this season. Coach Ken Niumatalolo, who did such a great job at Navy, has found a new coaching home and has shown that he can guide a team to a successful season without needing the triple option offense. San Jose State has used a more conventional pass-first offense to score this season, and the Spartans have definitely lived up to expectations if not exceeding them.
The real question of this game is less about UNLV, and more about SJSU. The Spartans made a major emotional investment in the Boise State game, trying to pull the huge upset. Now they have to come back on a short week and gear back up again. They are at home. It’s a national television game. The Spartans will be excited. However, they could run out of steam in the second half. It’s not hard to envision SJSU covering the spread and playing this game within a touchdown, but it is very difficult to imagine San Jose State covering the spread if it falls behind early. SJSU needs to get its nose in front once again. Against UNLV – a team which is not as good as Boise State – the Spartans could stay in the game for all 60 minutes if they get the early lead. If they fall behind 10-0, it will be a hard climb for the Spartans in the second half. You should probably stay away from this game, but you could make a live bet midway through the second quarter if you sense an opening.