The Nevada Wolfpack (5-1, 2-0 MWC) and Fresno State Bulldogs (5-2, 2-1) tangle in Saturday night MWC West Division action. Kickoff from Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, Calif., is slated for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Nevada vs. Fresno State odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings courtesy of the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Nevada totes a three-game win streak into Bulldog Stadium. The Wolfpack sport a pass-first offense: UN is third in the nation in passing with 363.3 yards per game (YPG) and 128th in rushing with 85.3 YPG. Nevada has been subpar in defending the pass and has tended to get in some high-scoring pass-fests. The Over is 4-2 in the Wolfpack’s six games.
Fresno Sate is back home after two straight road games — at Hawaii and Wyoming — which were split by a bye week. The Bulldogs are 14-3 straight-up and 9-7-1 against the spread over their last 17 games at Bulldog Stadium. FSU also shows up with a pass-first offense that ranks seventh in the nation with 353.1 YPG, but the Bulldogs have also been effective in shutting down the aerial game.
Nevada at Fresno State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Nevada +145 (bet $100 to win $145) | Fresno State -180 (bet $180 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Nevada +3.5 (-110) | Fresno State -3.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 64.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Nevada at Fresno State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Fresno State 38, Nevada 31
Money line
Too much middle ground between these tags: AVOID.
Against the spread
The Bulldogs managed 599 total yards and held a 30-14 edge in first downs in last year’s meeting in December, but still lost 37-26.
Look for some push-back in a revenge game with MWC West implications. Nevada has been a turnover beneficiary in a couple games that look good on the surface of its resume. The Wolfpack were a plus-5 last week at Hawaii; they were a plus-3 in an earlier win over Boise State.
FSU’s defense and ability to be more diverse on offense will be keys in this one. Nevada can get to the quarterback, so Fresno will want to run a bit to keep the Wolfpack off balance.
BACK THE BULLDOGS -3.5 (-110).
Over/Under
The last seven times the Bulldogs have been favored at home, the Over has gone 5-2.
Peg the Wolfpack’s defensive-stop surface numbers as being a bit too generous, while the opposite holds true for Fresno State’s offensive numbers. Both units have some analytic indicators that point to more scoring in this one.
On a dry, good-weather day, TAKE THE OVER 64.5 (-108).
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