UNLV vs. Idaho State Betting Prediction - Runnin' Rebels begin Dan Mullen era

The Dan Mullen era is underway in Las Vegas as he looks to replicate UNLV's best season on the gridiron since 1974.

The Runnin' Rebels posted an 11-3 mark in 2024, capping a 20-8 stint for head coach Barry Odom before he departed for the Purdue job.

Enter Mullen following a three-year hiatus on the sidelines after four seasons as the head coach of the Florida Gators from 2018 through 2021.

24 hours ⏳ pic.twitter.com/BXUdaorouS
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) August 22, 2025

Mullen leads the Rebels against the Idaho State Bengals from FCS, who finished 5-7 last season.

MATCHUP NOTES

UNLV pulled off a pair of impressive road underdog victories to start last season at Houston and Kansas on the way to a 4-0 record.

The Runnin' Rebels lost a shootout at home to Syracuse for its first loss, but went on to a 6-2 record in Mountain West Conference play and a spot in the league championship.

Boise State tripped up UNLV, 21-7 to capture the MWC title, but the Rebels finished the season on a high note by beating California in the LA Bowl, 24-13.

From a pointspread perspective, UNLV closed at 8-6 as the program covered 18 of 28 games in two seasons under Odom.

Last season, UNLV posted a 2-3 record against the spread as a double-digit favorite. In the lone game against an FCS opponent, the Rebels routed Utah Tech, 72-14 as 41.5-point favorites.

UNLV rolled past Idaho State, 52-21 as 23.5-point home favorites to kick off the 2022 season.

The Bengals played only one FBS school last season but managed a cover as 29-point underdogs in an opening week loss at Oregon State, 38-15.

Last season, Idaho State ranked second in the Big Sky Conference in passing offense, but struggled in the run game, ranking 11th.

Mullen has still not decided on his starting quarterback for the opener as Anthony Colandrea and Alex Orji will likely split time.

Colandrea threw for 2,125 yards last season at Virginia, along with 13 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

Orji played limited time at Michigan, posting 150 passing yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 269 yards and one score.

Junior running back Jai'Den Thomas led UNLV on the ground with 918 yards and seven touchdowns, as he will be the focal point of this offense.

BETTING OUTLOOK

UNLV is listed as a 30.5-point favorite at DraftKings, while the total is set at 66.5 points.

This is a heavy number to lay with rotating quarterbacks, as this game was scheduled for September 13 and was moved due to a boxing match.

Idaho State is not one of the top FCS schools, so UNLV should come out and play well in Mullen's first game as head coach and cover this number.

BEST BET: UNLV (-30.5)