UNLV’s 34-10 upset of Vanderbilt largest ATS cover of week

Every time a final score lands exactly on the point spread, a patron at a Las Vegas sportsbook will shake their head in amazement at the accuracy of the oddsmakers.

But there are plenty of games each week that finish far from the closing line.

UNLV football’s 34-10 upset win at Vanderbilt on Saturday was a prime example.

The Rebels closed as consensus 15½-point underdogs at Las Vegas books and closed as 16½-point underdogs at Boyd Gaming before their stunning 24-point win, beating the spread by 40½ points.

That swing from point spread to result was the largest cover of the week in college football and is believed to be one of the biggest in UNLV history, at least when the Rebels were underdogs.

In other games Saturday, Bowling Green topped Toledo 20-7 as a 27-point underdog to beat the spread by 40 points; Utah whipped Oregon State 52-7 as a 14½-point favorite for a 30½-point cover; Purdue pounded Maryland 40-14 as a 4-point underdog for a 30-point cover; Wisconsin shut out Michigan State 38-0 as a 9-point favorite for a 29-point cover; and Navy whipped Tulsa 45-17 as a 1-point underdog to beat the spread by 29 points.

In arguably the greatest win in UNLV football history, the Rebels upset a No. 8-ranked Brigham Young team quarterbacked by Steve Young 45-41 in 1981, ending the Cougars’ 16-game home unbeaten streak. But there are no records of the line on that game as Nevada books weren’t allowed to take bets on UNLV or UNR until 2001.

In perhaps UNLV’s second-biggest victory ever, the Rebels knocked off No. 14 Wisconsin 23-5 as 20-point underdogs in 2003 for a 38-point cover under coach John Robinson. Safety Jamaal Brimmer returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown in the rain and finished with two interceptions, two sacks and a forced fumble in a tour de force performance.

In another upset of a ranked team, UNLV rallied for a 23-20 overtime victory at No. 15 Arizona State as 23-point underdogs in 2008 for a 26-point cover.

Here are some other notable upsets:

In 2011, the Rebels were 18½-point underdogs in a 40-20 win over Hawaii for a 38½-point cover.

In 2007, UNLV was an 8-point underdog to Utah in a 27-0 win to beat the spread by 35 points.

In 2017, the Rebels were 21-point underdogs to Fresno State in a 26-16 win for a 31-point cover.

In 2002, UNLV was a 10-point underdog to BYU in a 24-3 triumph to beat the spread by 31 points.

In 2018, the Rebels were 23-point underdogs to San Diego State in a 27-24 win and 26-point cover.

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Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.