Syracuse football heads to Las Vegas for a prime-time non-conference showdown on Friday night against a ranked and undefeated UNLV squad.
The Orange, after taking care of business this past Saturday afternoon versus Holy Cross, wrapped up its four-game home stand to commence the 2024 season. Now the 'Cuse and first-year head coach Fran Brown will hit the road for three contests in a row during the month of October.
Up first is a battle in the Sin City with the Rebels, a group that is in a tie for No. 25 in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll while checking in at No. 23 in the most recent Coaches top-25 poll.
According to national analysts and other observers, UNLV is a significant contender to win the Mountain West Conference championship and earn a bid to the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Dating back to last week, the Rebels have found themselves in the national news regarding some roster developments that center in part on name, image and likeness issues. But make no mistake about it: this talented UNLV team, which is highly explosive on offense, will pose a big-time challenge for the Orange in week six.
Syracuse football at No. 25 UNLV odds, spread and total
When I wrote this article, FanDuel had the Orange as a 6.5-point betting underdog at the Rebels, with the over/under set at 59.5 points.
Syracuse football at No. 25 UNLV how to watch
Date: Friday, Oct 4
Game Time: 9:00 pm EST
Venue: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
TV/Streaming: FS1 and fuboTV
UNLV's record: 4-0
Syracuse's record: 3-1
Syracuse’s full 2024 schedule: Click here
Syracuse football at No. 25 UNLV prediction and pick
Here's the week-six depth chart for the Orange, courtesy of 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister. Friday evening's affair will mark the first-ever collision between Syracuse football and the Rebels.
Here are the results to date in the 2024 campaign for UNLV. The Rebels easily defeated Houston on the road as well as Utah Tech and Fresno State, both at home. UNLV also won at Kansas by three points.
I'm not suggesting that the Rebels have faced an overly daunting docket so far in 2024, but at the same time, they have beaten two Big 12 Conference squads, and UNLV boasts two road triumphs, too.
Also, nationally speaking, per the NCAA's Web site, the Rebels are in a tie for No. 15 overall in scoring defense, allowing just 13.75 points per game. On the other side of the field, UNLV is No. 10 nationwide in scoring offense, producing 45.2 points per affair.
To conquer the Rebels, on the road, Syracuse football will have to put up points on the scoreboard. There's no denying that. And the Orange's defense will have to be aggressive and assertive, hopefully coming away with some turnovers and providing the offense with strong field position.
Oh, and the 'Cuse special teams, namely the squad's kickers, will have to do much better than they fared last Saturday against Holy Cross.
This is a rough prediction to make. My heart says go with the Orange, but my head says pick UNLV. What to do? I'll be my usual "homer" self and forecast Syracuse football to prevail over the Rebels, in Las Vegas, by a final count of 35-31.