The Kansas Jayhawks need to bounce back quickly after gifting away a win last week at Illinois. The Jayhawks have no one but themselves to blame — well, themselves and star quarterback Jalon Daniels.
Tonight's UNLV vs. Kansas predictions will focus on some newly created value, with my college football picks leaning toward the home favorite before kickoff on Friday, September 13, at 7:00 ET.
UNLV vs Kansas prediction
My best bet
Kansas -7 (-105 at BetMGM)
My analysis
There should be no sugarcoating of it. Kansas played poorly in Champaign last weekend. And no one played worse than Daniels, now best described as a former Heisman hopeful. One irrational Kansas fan was still sending texts on Monday afternoon wondering if Daniels should be benched in favor of redshirt freshman Cole Ballard, a former two-star recruit with a total of 25 career completions.
To be fair, Daniels threw three interceptions on just 32 pass attempts. None of us need to pull out a calculator to know that is an interception for every 10 or 11 pass attempts.
It was an anomaly. It was a bad evening. In his previous 589 career pass attempts, Daniels had thrown just 15 total picks, one every 39.3 pass attempts.
Calm down, Evan or James or Eric or whatever the name is of your preferred Jayhawks fan. Take a breath.
In fact, calm down oddsmakers.
Last week, UNLV beat up on FCS-level Utah Tech, winning 72-14. Congrats, Rebels. Then again, the Trailblazers are arguably worse than the best NAIA team, Northwestern (Iowa). Absolutely nothing should be gleaned from that victory aside from the obvious thought that UNLV built up some confidence.
Before those two games — the Jayhawks’ giveaway of a loss at Illinois, and the Rebels’ stomping of a lower-tier FCS team — some advanced metrics would have made Kansas a 16- or 17-point favorite this weekend.
In what world should those two results knock this all the way down to an even touchdown? This is an overreaction by Jayhawks fans and bookmakers alike.
Daniels has never been a turnover worry, and his playmaking should stress a thus-far-untested UNLV defense. The Rebels prefer to run the ball — doing so 20.1% more often than game states would have expected this season — but Kansas’s defense fares better against the rush than the pass. Combining that defensive edge with Daniels’s playmaking should make this touchdown spread hardly a worry.
UNLV vs Kansas same-game parlay (SGP)
Kansas -6.5
Over 58.5 points
Jacob De Jesus anytime touchdown
UNLV’s offense is called the “Go-Go” offense for a reason. It moves quickly. The unusual aspect of the up-tempo approach is how dependent the Rebels are on rushing the ball. Their entire intention is to run often enough to break loose on a big gain eventually. And then do it all over again.
Kansas should limit most of those big gains, but some will come, and those will help create points in this game. An up-tempo offense on one side of the ball and Daniels on the other should light up a scoreboard.
No one on UNLV’s offense is more electric with the ball in his hands than senior receiver Jacob De Jesus, also the Rebels’ punt and kick returner. He caught UNLV’s two touchdowns against Houston to open the season, a moment that earned more trust than anything done against Utah Tech.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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UNLV vs Kansas odds
UNLV vs Kansas live odds
UNLV vs Kansas opening odds
- Spread: UNLV +6.5 | Kansas -6.5
- Moneyline: UNLV +220 | Kansas -275
- Over/Under: Over 57.5 | Under 57.5
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
UNLV vs Kansas spread and Over/Under analysis
- Kansas opened at most books as a touchdown favorite on Sunday before toggling between -6.5 and -7.5 into Monday only to settle at -7.5 for the whole week.
- This total opened at 57.5 and ignored a Monday tick down to 56.5 to instead nestle at 58 at most books.
- It should be noted at some point here, that these two met in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in late December, Kansas winning 49-36 as an 8-point favorite with the total set at 65.
UNLV vs Kansas betting trend to know
Kansas went 5-2 both outright and against the spread at home in 2023, and is 1-0 in both regards to start 2024. Find more college football betting trends for UNLV vs Kansas.
UNLV vs Kansas game info
| Location: | Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS |
| Date: | Friday, 9-13, 2024 |
| Kickoff: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
UNLV vs Kansas latest injuries
UNLV vs Kansas weather
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