UNLV continues to be cash cow for bettors; costly loss for Auburn
The Review-Journal’s Todd Dewey will track the biggest betting storylines every Saturday of the college football season.
UNLV improved the best college football spread record in the country to 10-1 after beating Air Force 31-27 on a late defensive stand as a 3-point underdog.
The Rebels (9-2, 6-1 Mountain West) shut out the Falcons in the second half to take over sole possession of first place in their conference. Air Force drove to the UNLV 8 on its final possession, but John Busha’s pass on fourth-and-goal fell incomplete with 23 seconds left.
The Rebels trailed 24-7 in the second quarter and 27-14 at halftime before storming back behind Jayden Maiava, who threw for 339 yards and two TDs.
Costly loss
Auburn paid New Mexico State $1.85 million to play the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
But the Aggies didn’t play the part of pushovers. They pushed around Auburn in a 31-10 win and paid off bettors who backed them as 25-point underdogs and 11-1 on the money line.
Diego Pavia threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns to lead New Mexico State to its first win over a Southeastern Conference team after 27 losses.
Appalachian State (+10) was another double-digit ‘dog that won outright Saturday as it dealt James Madison its first loss in a 26-23 overtime win that paid +275 on the money line.
Michigan, which entered the day as the favorite to win the College Football Playoff national championship, escaped with a 31-24 victory at Maryland but failed to cover as a 17½-point favorite.
The Terrapins rallied from a 23-3 second-quarter deficit and had the ball down five on several occasions in the fourth quarter. Taulia Tagovailoa was called for intentional grounding in the end zone to give Michigan a safety, a 31-24 lead and the ball back with 3:38 remaining. The Wolverines then ran out the clock.
A Caesars Sportsbook bettor lost a $110,000 wager on Michigan -17. Caesars bettors also lost a $110,000 wager on North Carolina (+7½), which fell 31-20 to Clemson; and a $100,000 bet on Iowa, which beat Illinois 15-13 but failed to cover as a 3-point favorite.
The Hawkeyes went under the total (33½) for the sixth straight game and have a 9-2 under record this season.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.