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Hawaii is an underdog against UNLV on Saturday night.

Breaking down the odds and best bets for college football Week 1 action in the Mountain West between UNLV and Hawaii.
Hawaii is an underdog against UNLV on Saturday night.

The UNLV Rebels and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will face off in Week 1 in a matchup between two teams that already have a game under their belts this season.

UNLV was upset by the Memphis Tigers in Week 0, losing 27-21. Hawaii also suffered a loss, falling to Stanford 37-27 due to a returned fumble for a touchdown on what could have been a game-tying or game-winning drive by Hawaii.

One of these two teams will get their first win of the season on Saturday night.

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

Jackson Arnold was a one-man wrecking crew for UNLV in Week 0, completing 25-of-37 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 54 rushing yards on 21 carries. The performance wasn't enough to carry UNLV to a win, so he'll need to improve further in Week 1 against Hawaii.

Despite losing in Week 0, I'm still high on this Hawaii offense led by Micah Alejado, but their defense is extremely concerning. They allowed Stanford to rack up 483 total yards, including 9.1 yards per pass attempt and 4.7 yards per carry.

UNLV was in a similar situation. Their offense was great in Week 0, but they allowed Memphis to gain 418 total yards of offense, including 8.6 yards per pass attempt and 5.7 yards per rush.

With that in mind, I'm going to pass on a side and bet the total instead. I think we're in for a high-scoring affair in the Mountain West.

Pick: OVER 56.5 (-107) via Caesars

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About this story and its source

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It was published on September 3, 2026 and last updated on October 9, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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