No. 2 Michigan hardly broke a sweat in the Wolverines' season-opening victory in Week 1 last week vs. East Carolina, dispatching the Pirates 30-3. Coming in as 37-point favorites against UNLV, it's safe to say many around college football are expecting the same sort of result Saturday.
Michigan looked ready to contend for a third straight Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff spot vs. the Pirates. J.J. McCarthy threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns, while Blake Corum rushed for 73 yards and scored in his first game action since suffering a leg injury against Illinois last season. The defense smothered East Carolina and only allowed points on the game's final play when East Carolina kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired.
As for UNLV, the Rebels won their season-opener against Bryant 44-14. The Rebels put the Runnin' in Runnin' Rebels, rushing for 283 yards in the game, averaging over 7.1 yards per carry. They hope to use that explosive rushing attack to make life difficult for the Wolverines.
Check out LIVE updates from Michigan vs. UNLV
How to watch Michigan vs. UNLV live
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Michigan Stadium -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Michigan vs. UNLV: Need to know
This will be the second game of Jim Harbaugh's self-imposed suspension: Harbaugh and Michigan announced a self-imposed three-game suspension prior to the season in light of an NCAA investigation into the program. Like last week, Harbaugh won't be present in The Big House on Saturday. Unlike last week, when Jesse Minter was the interim coach, the Wolverines will roll with two head coaches this weekend. Jay Harbaugh will have the headset in the first half, while Mike Hart will take over the second half. Perhaps more importantly, Sherrone Moore will be back as offensive coordinator. He was out last week, too, serving a one-game university-imposed suspension.
Michigan hasn't lost a regular-season nonconference game since 2018: In recent seasons, Michigan has received plenty of criticism for its nonconference schedule, but you can't argue with the results. The Wolverines have won 12 straight nonconference games during the regular season. Their last loss was in 2018 when they lost 24-17 on the road against Notre Dame. Given the spread for this one, the streak will likely be extended to 13 games Saturday.
UNLV is 2-16 all-time against Big Ten opponents: It's not exactly a surprise to see that UNLV has struggled to beat Big Ten teams, but it may be a surprise to learn both its wins came against Wisconsin. The Rebels beat the Badgers 17-7 in Las Vegas in 1986 and did so again at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison in 2007 by a score of 23-5. While that was a while ago, the Rebels picked up a win over another Power Five opponent as recently as 2019 when they beat Vanderbilt in Nashville 34-10. They have faced Michigan once, losing 28-7 in Ann Arbor during the 2015 season, Jim Harbaugh's first season as coach at Michigan.
Michigan vs. UNLV prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
The spread is rather large, and I'm not sure I want to be sweating a five-touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter of this one. Instead, I'd take the over, as it could cash a lot earlier than that. With Sherrone Moore calling plays again, Michigan's offense should look smoother than last week, and I don't have a lot of faith in UNLV's ability to stop it. However, on the other side of the ball, Michigan has the talent edge defensively, but UNLV's offense can be tough to defend. It's a run game designed to break big runs, and it only needs one missed assignment from a defender to make it happen. Don't be surprised if the Rebels break off a few big plays and find the end zone, even if they never threaten to win the game. Pick: Over 58
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 2, and which underdogs win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,500 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
