After finishing the regular season 8-4, the Kansas Jayhawks take on the 9-4 UNLV Rebels as 13 point favorites in a game with a 67.5-point total. Let’s dive into our Kansas-UNLV odds, pick and prediction for this year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl. If you’re looking for more college football bets, check out our college football betting tools and our guide to betting on football.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl Pick: Kansas-UNLV Bet
Guaranteed Rate Bowl Odds
Odds via bet365
Kansas: -500 | UNLV: -375
Kansas -13.0: -110 | UNLV +13.0: -110
Over 67.5: -110 | Under 67.5: -110
Expert: Matt Gajewski
Time: Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET
Kansas-UNLV News & Notes
Kansas Absences: DL Gage Keys, QB Jalon Daniels, OL Bryce Cabeldue
Kansas Coaching Changes: OC Andy Kotelnicki
UNLV Absences: S Camren Jenkins, RB Courtney Reese
UNLV Coaching Changes: N/A
Kansas-UNLV Comparison
| Metric | Kansas | UNLV |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | 114th | 38th |
| Overall Offense | 11th | 73rd |
| Run Blocking | 17th | 101st |
| Pass Blocking | 18th | 38th |
| Pass Rate | 125th | 107th |
| Overall Defense | 55th | 77th |
| Run Defense | 84th | 49th |
| Pass Rush | 72nd | 45th |
| Coverage | 25th | 112th |
Guaranteed Rate Bowl Pick & Prediction
After two straight winning seasons, Kansas enters bowl season against Mountain West runner-up UNLV. Kansas lost their offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to Penn State, but most of the team remains in place. The same can be said for UNLV, but level of competition remains a concern for the Rebels ahead of this game.
Starting with Kansas, Jason Bean projects to play his final collegiate game. Originally replacing an injured Jalon Daniels, Bean put together a spectacular 2023 with a 61.4% completion percentage for 9.8 yards per attempt. Bean has the benefit of playing behind an elite offensive line, allowing just a 21.5% pressure rate. Bean also has an elite cast of skill players. Devin Neal rushed for 1,209 yards, while Lawrence Arnold, Luke Grimm, and Quentin Skinner combined for 1,552 yards.
The Kansas offense also faces a weak UNLV defense that has constantly faced shootouts. The Rebels rank 112th in coverage and 77th in overall defense. This team has allowed 31+ points in three straight games. In fact, UNLV reached the Mountain West Championship on victories over come of the weaker teams in the conference. Their losses included Boise State, San Jose State, Fresno State, and Michigan.
As for UNLV’s offense, the Rebels received a boost with quarterback Jayden Maiava withdrawing from the transfer portal. Maiava has solid mobility and completed 59.3% of his passes for 7.2 yards per attempt. UNLV’s offense line only allows pressure on 19.8% of his drop backs and Ricky White has been a pure alpha on the outside. Even with the efficiency, Maiava has still struggled with turnovers. He finished the season with 16 turnover worthy plays and 12 passing touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Maiava will have his work cut out for him against an improved an intact Kansas defense. The Jayhawks improved all the way to 55th this season, while ranking 25th in coverage. The Jayhawks were giving on the ground in certain matchups, but this defense could pose problems if UNLV falls behind early. Ultimately, the step up in competition looks like too much for UNLV to overcome.
Guaranteed Rate Bowl Pick & Prediction and our Kansas-UNLV Bet: Kansas -13.0 (-110) at bet365
