Wildcats vs. Rebels NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The Arizona Wildcats and the UNLV Rebels are coming off of vastly different Week 1 experiences. Arizona took down the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 35-0, while UNLV fell to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 51-23.
Arizona (1-0) @ UNLV (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 7, 10:30 PM ET @ Sam Boyd Stadium
Moneyline: Arizona -390, UNLV +295
Spread: Arizona -10.5
O/U: 61
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The Wildcats played a solid game in the opener, but there were areas where improvement will be needed moving forward. UNLV will look to take advantage of those weaknesses in Week 2.
Arizona
Anytime you shut out an opponent, you’ve done something right. Throw in the fact that the Wildcats scored 35 points, and you have a recipe for success. But while a blowout victory is never a bad thing, there are a few things Arizona will look to improve against a tougher UNLV opponent.
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Fans will need to see a more consistent performance from the offensive line, especially with a first-year quarterback running the show. The front line needs to be sharp; however, it’s special teams that has to improve right away. The squad missed a field goal and muffed multiple punts.
Most FBS teams would have been a threat to take advantage of those mistakes, and UNLV could prove to be one of those teams if the Wildcats give it the opportunity.
While it wasn’t a perfect game in Week 1, the end result gives Arizona hope moving forward. The running game looked beyond sharp—without its No. 1 back, who will return this week. The team rallied for 306 yards on the ground, which was good enough for 13th in the nation.
The Rebels gave up 320 yards in their season-opening loss, and nearly 70 percent of those were on the ground. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Another good sign for the Wildcats is that the Rebels lost last season to the same Northern Arizona team that was just shut out. Arizona has the edge, so long as it keeps the mistakes to a minimum.
UNLV
UNLV has home-field advantage in this one, which is going to be important. If the Rebels can force Arizona into turnovers, you’re looking at a game that is closer than the predictive numbers indicate. That said, if the Wildcats take care of the ball, UNLV must step up its defensive performance from a week ago.
Against Minnesota, UNLV gave up 51 points, which was 111th in the country. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Rebels now have to deal with the return of Ka’Deem Carey. The tailback missed one game for Arizona due to suspension, but he will be back in the lineup this week following his nation-leading rushing campaign in 2012.
If UNLV stands a chance, it must contain the talent in the backfield. Aside from Carey, look for Daniel Jenkins and Jared Baker to get involved for the Wildcats—not to mention the quarterbacks.
The silver lining following the Rebels’ loss is that they gained more total yards than Minnesota. Shaquille Murray-Lawrence tallied 104 yards on the ground on just four carries, and quarterback Nick Sherry set a university record with 35 completions.
But like Arizona, UNLV had trouble taking care of the ball. In Week 2, if one team plays sloppy, the other has the advantage. If both teams play sloppy—or neither does—the edge goes to Arizona. The powerful backfield of the Wildcats should prove to be too much for UNLV, and the Rebels will need a very strong performance to be in it late.
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Arizona 37 – UNLV 17
