Penn Rejoice, rejoice, football fans — the sport you know and love has returned at long last. The Idaho State Bengals head to Allegiant Stadium to face the UNLV Rebels in long-awaited Week 0 action.
How will Dan Mullen’s first game as the head honcho in Sin City go?
My Idaho State vs. UNLV predictions and college football picks are banking on points for Saturday, August 23.
Idaho State vs UNLV prediction
Idaho State vs UNLV Best bet: Over 65.5 (-110)
Dan Mullen has coached 13 seasons at Florida and Mississippi State, and there’s excitement about the talent he’s assembled with the UNLV Rebels. The roster has undergone its second overhaul in the last three years, so it’s anyone’s guess what the on-field product will resemble this Saturday.
The Rebels are expected to play two quarterbacks, Michigan transfer Alex Orji and Virginia transfer Anthony Colandrea, against a defense that surrendered 37.8 ppg a year ago. UNLV’s run game should be cooking, led by star tailback Jai’Den Thomas (918 rushing yards, seven touchdowns a year ago).
The Idaho State Bengals, meanwhile, will lean on their offense-first identity that saw them average 32 ppg in 2024. They’re led by an experienced offensive line that essentially returns four starters from a unit that allowed only 10 sacks a season ago.
They have an experienced signal caller in Jordan Cooke, who started and threw for 2,453 yards in 2023 and was the original starter in 2024 for a game, and return a few starting wide receivers and rotational running backs. The expectation is for the quick-passing and tempo attack to click for the offense.
Idaho State vs UNLV same-game parlay
The Rebels rank 132nd in returning production and return two starters from last year’s breakout, 11-win squad. While Mullen has assembled a fair amount of blue-chippers for a Group of 5 roster, it’ll likely take some time for the pieces to gel.
Third-year coach Cody Hawkins has improved his team’s record each season (from 1-10 before he got there, 3-7 in 2023, to 5-7 in 2024), so he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.
With Orji and Colandrea both playing, the Rebels should continue to score points into the third quarter, as Mullen will emphasize gaining continuity with both signal callers, regardless of the margin
Our deep-ball SGP: Points early and often
If this game goes according to Mullen’s script, his Rebels will get off to a fast start offensively, which would correlate with Idaho State pushing the tempo in response.
Idaho State vs UNLV odds
- Idaho State vs. UNLV spread: UNLV -24.5
- Idaho State vs. UNLV moneyline: Idaho State +1000, UNLV -5000
- Idaho State vs. UNLV Over/Under: 65.5
Idaho State vs UNLV betting trend to know
UNLV has hit the Over in four of its last five games at home. Find more college football betting trends for Idaho State vs UNLV.
How to watch Idaho State vs UNLV
| Location | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV |
| Date | Saturday, August 23, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 4:00 p.m. ET |
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Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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