UNLV Rebels quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) throws down field during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State beats UNLV 21-7. Brian Losness-Imagn Images

College Football Mountain West Odds Released: UNLV Opens At Second Behind Boise State

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI
By Mark Morales-Smith | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 2:34 PM ET

The odds for the Mountain West Conference are out, and there is a lot to break down. The UNLV Rebels have the second-best odds at +410 behind only the Boise State Broncos, who have -130 odds to win the Mountain West. The team with the third-best odds that is most likely to jump the Rebels this year is the San Jose State Spartans, who currently sit with 8 - 1 odds.

Following those three are the Fresno State Bulldogs at 9 - 1, Colorado State Rams at 12 - 1, and Air Force Falcons and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at 22 - 1. Bringing up the rear are two teams that Vegas is giving almost no chance to, and that's the Nevada Wolf Pack and New Mexico Lobos at 125 - 1. These odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

First, we will look at why the Rebels' odds are this high. It's because they are coming off their best season since 1984, in which they made it to the Mountain West Conference Championship Game and went on to a rare bowl game victory. There is no doubt that last season has shown how much potential and promise this team has. They also had a great offseason in regards to the transfer portal and brought in a big-name head coach in Dan Mullen to replace former head coach Barry Odom, who moved on to take the Purdue Boilermakers job. If you have faith in Mullen, which most do, it makes all the sense in the world why he'd be able to build off their successful 2024 campaign.

However, we also need to look at why their odds aren't higher as well. There is really just one reason, caused by a number of factors, and that reason is uncertainty. As good as Mullen is, it is still a new regime coming off an incredible year by an unestablished program. They lost a lot of key players like quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, wide receiver Ricky White III, and linebacker Jackson Woodard.

We don't even have an idea who the starting quarterback is going to be with transfers Anthony Colandrea and Alex Orji in and open competition. Of course, there is also the final boss that they have to try to find a way to beat. Boise State looms large over everyone in the Mountain West as the impossible hurdle to jump. Could UNLV find a way to beat them one time in a championship game? Sure. Does anyone expect that to happen? Absolutely not.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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