CFB Odds, Picks and Best Bets for Week 3

Kansas fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 after losing to Illinois last week in a game in which quarterback Jalon Daniels threw three interceptions.

Now, Kansas returns home to host UNLV on Friday night in a rematch of last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, a game won by the Jayhawks in a shootout with nearly 1,000 yards of offense.

Can the Rebels get revenge or will Kansas get back on track after a bad loss in Week 2?

Here’s our UNLV vs. Kansas preview, including a prediction and pick for the game.

UNLV vs. Kansas Odds

UNLV vs. Kansas Prediction

The last time these two teams met, there were plenty of fireworks.

Quarterback Jason Bean threw six touchdowns in a 49-36 Kansas victory.

Of course, both teams look different now, as Bean has run out of eligibility and UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava has transferred to USC.

For Kansas, Daniels is back under center after playing in just 12 games over the past two seasons.

His health is paramount for a Jayhawks team that relies heavily on its offense to compete with top-tier opponents.

Joining Daniels as key offensive returners are the team’s top three receivers (Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner and Luke Grimm) and running back (Devin Neal).

That combination of skill position players, minus Bean, helped them achieve the ninth-highest-rated offense in the country in 2023.

While he’s still getting over the rust, Daniels has had a slow start to the season (three touchdowns, four interceptions), but he’ll soon have a breakout performance.

But until that happens, he has Devin Neal, one of the best backs in the country, at his disposal.

Neal rushed 14 times for 101 yards against Illinois and could have a big day on Friday, as the Rebels ranked 78th in opponent rushing yards per game last season.

Despite losing offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to Penn State, this Jayhawks offense has all the ingredients to be explosive.

However, new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was criticized for his late-game decisions against Illinois, primarily for the lack of running plays. Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. combined for just 21 total carries (two in the fourth quarter) despite averaging nearly 7 yards per attempt in the game.

Hopefully that changes against UNLV, which last year ranked 91st in the nation against the run (171.8 yards per game).

“I’ve got to do a better job of getting them the ball in crunch time,” Grimes said this week.

Meanwhile, according to PFF, UNLV was rated as the 13th worst coverage team in 2023.

But he spent much of the offseason trying to fix that problem by adding safeties Tony Grimes, Jalen Catalon, Jarvis Ware and Kodi DeCambra and cornerbacks Malik Chavis and La’Vario Wiley. Grimes, Catalon and Chavis are all starters in the Rebels’ revamped secondary.

UNLV vs. Kansas Prediction

The Rebels remain suspect in the secondary after allowing Utah Tech to score 14 points, both on long passing touchdowns.

And while their run defense appears to have improved (52.5 yards per game in the first two weeks), the results have come against Houston and FCS rival Utah Tech.

Betting on college football?

Kansas has covered in four of its last five home games and is currently undervalued in the market after its loss last week. While I liked the number when it was 6.5 points earlier in the week, I’m still going for the current 8.5 points as the Jayhawks are in perfect position to bounce back.

Prediction: Kansas -8.5 (-120, BetMGM)

Why trust the New York Post’s bets?

Andrew Norton wagers on the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC, and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved an impressive 14.1% ROI, cashing in on 60% of his NBA picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.