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Week 5: Nevada vs. UNLV Preview & Pick

The Nevada Wolf Pack and the UNLV Rebels will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium. Odds have the Wolf Pack listed as 20½-point favorites, the total is sitting at 62½. Here is a preview and free betting pick…

Week 5: Nevada Wolf Pack vs. UNLV Rebels Free Week 5 College Football Pick

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Week 5: Nevada at UNLV Preview & Odds

Date: Saturday, Oct. 2 at 10:0 p.m. ET
Venue: Turf of Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: N/A
Wolf Pack vs. Rebels lines from Sportsbook.com
Wolf Pack: -20.5
Warriors: +20.5
Total: 62
Bet Now @ Bodog.com

Every year, Nevada and UNLV play for the Fremont Cannon; the winner of the game keeps the cannon and paints it in school colors—and for the past five years, it has belonged strictly to the Wolf Pack. Will the trend continue through 2010? The Wolf Pack and Rebels hook up on Saturday.

Wolf Pack vs. Rebels

Nevada has cruised to a perfect starting, winning all four games and going 3-0 against the spread. The effort has been so strong, the Wolf Pack entered the rankings—coming in at No. 25—for the first time since 1948. Nevada is taking care of business with an explosive offense and dominant run game; the team is averaging 44.8 points per outing while rushing for an incredible 286 yards per game.

Running back Vai Taua and quarterback Colin Kaepernick are doing the damage, as they rank 13th and 14th, respectively, in NCAA rushing yards per game. Though there’s plenty of emphasis on the run, Kaepernick is a respectable passer too. He rarely commits turnovers and the Wolf Pack is averaging 242 pass yards per game.

On the other side of the football, Nevada has improved considerably. The team was gouged for over 30 points per game last season but, at the moment, the number stands at 18.5. The “D” is doing a pretty effective job against both run and pass, though it could certainly afford to make more big plays. Nevada failed to record a takeaway or sack in last week’s 27-13 win over BYU.

UNLV, on the other hand, has just one win to its credit. The Rebels (1-3, 2-2 ATS) snapped a three-game losing streak by beating New Mexico 45-10 last week but, to be fair, the opening schedule was a doozy (including Wisconsin and at Utah).

It was the first time in 2010 the offense did anything. In fact, the Rebels’ 45 points against New Mexico exceeded their output from the first three games. Quarterback Omar Clayton looked sharp with three touchdown passes, while running back Michael Johnson did his job by cranking out 185 yards on the ground.

Defensively, Will Chandler has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Rebels. The cornerback already has three picks and a pair of fumble recoveries. Too bad he’s not a stalwart run-stopper; UNLV is allowing 161 yards per game on the ground.

Nevada crushed UNLV 63-28 last year thanks to 559 yards on the ground (Kaepernick was responsible for 173 of them). With UNLV struggling to stop the run, and Nevada still cranking out yards like there’s no tomorrow, it’s hard to believe the same thing won’t happen again. Nevada is legit.

Gambling Trends:

Nevada is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Nevada’s last 9 games when playing UNLV
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of UNLV’s last 9 games when playing Nevada
UNLV is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
Nevada is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing UNLV
Nevada is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
UNLV is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Nevada
UNLV is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Nevada

Nevada at UNLV pick: Nevada -20.5

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By Ian Van Den Hurk

Ian Van Den Hurk has covered amateur and pro sports for years, including a successful run handicapping anything from football to mixed martial arts. Looking for more sports betting tips and expert sports handicapping articles from Ian V? We've got your back...