by Rod Pearson
Saturday, Dec 20, 2025
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Venue: Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, TX
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: UNLV -6.5, Ohio +6.5; Over/Under: 65.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: UNLV -6.5, Ohio +6.5; Over/Under: 65 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: UNLV -6.5, Ohio +6.5; Over/Under: 64.5 points
Season Record
UNLV Rebels: 10-3 (6-2) (2nd place, MWC)
Ohio Bobcats: 8-4 (6-2) (3rd place, MAC)
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Recent Form
UNLV Rebels: lost their last game on the road against the Boise State Broncos 38-21.
Ohio Bobcats: won their last game on the road against the Buffalo Bulls 31-26.
UNLV Rebels vs Ohio Bobcats Preview and Analysis
UNLV is entering this game with a 10-3 record overall and they have a 6-2 record in their conference games too. They are 5-1 in their home games, 5-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, and they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Boise State 38-21. Anthony Colandrea was the starting QB and he completed 18/38 passes for 225 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Anthony Colandrea led the team in rushing yards with 66 and 1 TD. JoJo Earle led the receivers with 45 receiving yards on 2 receptions. Marsel McDuffie led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while Lucas Conti led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Ohio is entering this game with an 8-4 record overall and they have a 6-2 record in their conference games too. They are 6-0 in their home games, 2-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Buffalo 31-26. Parker Navarro was the starting QB and he completed 10/23 passes for 147 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Parker Navarro led the team in rushing yards with 121 and 1 TD. Chase Hendricks led the receivers with 92 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Jalen Thomeson led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Anas Luqman and Jay Crable each led the defense in sacks with 1. Kendall Bannister came away with the only interception for them in that one.
UNLV vs Ohio Prediction
The current betting odds have UNLV listed as a 6.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. UNLV has looked great in their games this season with their 10-3 record overall and their 6-2 conference record which had them right near the top of the MWC. They haven't played in any neutral site games this year so this will be their first one, playing in the Frisco Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio has looked good in their games this season with their 8-4 record overall and their 6-2 conference record which had them right near the top of the MAC. This is also going to be their first neutral site game this year. Ohio had a great season and ended with a 31-26 win over Buffalo, but they did go to the MAC Championship last season and took a big step back this year. They were under a new head coach this season with their coach leaving for Charlotte at the end of last year, but now they have relieved the new coach of his duties after 1 season and aren't in a great situation. UNLV is in their first year with Dan Mullen coaching and he is staying with the team so UNLV is already in a better situation. They had a great first year under Mullen too, and even though they are off a 38-21 loss to Boise State in the MWC Championship, they will be looking to bounce back here as Mullen will use this game to build on the program for next year. UNLV also has a lot more talent and can take advantage of Ohio in a bad situation here. The best way to place a bet here is on UNLV to cover the spread in this game.
UNLV Ohio Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Tuesday, December 23, 2025 (9:00 pm ET start time) is UNLV 42 Ohio 14.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
UNLV Rebels: 2-6 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 63. 4-8 ATS versus good rushing teams - averaging 4.75 rushing yards/carry or more. 6-10 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 7-4 UNDER as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points.
Ohio Bobcats: 8-3 ATS as an underdog. 6-1 ATS off a road win against a conference rival. 12-5 ATS after playing their last game on the road. 8-4 UNDER as an underdog. 8-4 UNDER in non-conference games.
Key Injuries
UNLV Rebels: R. Jackson (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. V. Gumms (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Haynes (OG) Out - Undisclosed. C. Friel (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Eubanks (LB) Out - Undisclosed. A. Ausbon (DL) Out - Undisclosed. J. Buchanan (CB) Out - Undisclosed. K. Moore (CB) Out - Undisclosed. D. Jones (RB) Out - Undisclosed. A. Orji (QB) Out - Undisclosed.
Ohio Bobcats: R. Jackson Jr. (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Debrow (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Perry (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Hyatt Jr. (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Mathis (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Mundy (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Keuchler (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Minnis (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Winters (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Rodarte (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Seegars (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Molnar (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Hurst (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
"So exciting for us and our players to get to play in a bowl game. The one thing that makes bowl games really unique is the opportunity to travel and learn something new about a city. Frisco, Texas, is a great location to go to for a bowl game. There's a lot of guys on our team that have never gotten to experience that part of the country. I think our guys are going to be excited because they want to get back out there and play again after (falling to Boise State) Friday night. The opportunity to get out there and play in the next two weeks is going to be pretty exciting for us." - Dan Mullen on his team playing in the Frisco Bowl.
"For our program, players and staff, some things we talked about are playing for as long as it takes to win and leaving no doubt. I thought that our kids did that, they played the entire game as hard as they could and it took that long to win this game." - Brian Smith after Ohio’s win against Buffalo in their regular season finale.
Starting Lineups
UNLV Rebels
WR Reynolds, DaeDae
WR Bradley, Jaden
WR Earle, JoJo
TE Elksnis, Nick
QB Colandrea, Anthony
RB Thomas, Jai'Den
Ohio Bobcats
WR Harris II, Rodney
WR Dorwart, Dom
WR Hendricks, Chase
TE Williams, Mason
QB Navarro, Parker
RB Bangura, Sieh
Statistical Leaders
UNLV Rebels
Passing: Anthony Colandrea (3,275)
Rushing: Jai'Den Thomas (985)
Receiving: Jaden Bradley (869)
Touchdowns: Jai'Den Thomas (13)
Ohio Bobcats
Passing: Parker Navarro (2,232)
Rushing: Sieh Bangura (1,243)
Receiving: Chase Hendricks (950)
Touchdowns: Sieh Bangura (14)
Coaches:
UNLV Rebels: Dan Mullen (1st season)
Ohio Bobcats: John Hauser (Interim)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
