UNLV Rebels vs Ohio Bobcats Prediction, Odds and Picks for Tuesday, 12/23/25

Ohio has quietly become an afterthought. Once the Bobcats slipped out of the MAC title picture, the market stopped paying attention. UNLV, meanwhile, continues to receive respect by default after a 10-win season and a Mountain West title game appearance. But reputation and results are not the same thing — and this matchup exposes that gap. UNLV has been flawed all season. The Rebels are explosive offensively, averaging 35 points per game, but they remain one of the weakest defensive units among bowl-caliber teams, surrendering nearly 29 points per contest. Boise State — an offense that has struggled with consistency all year — put up 38 on UNLV just two weeks ago. That wasn’t an outlier. It was the norm. This is a team that has been clipped for 35 or more in five of their last ten games.

Ohio is built differently. The Bobcats play defense, allowing just 22 points per game, and their offense is capable of scoring efficiently without needing chaos or broken coverages. This isn’t an overmatched service academy or an FCS opponent that folded late like UNLV has faced previously. Ohio is structured, disciplined, and capable of playing four quarters. The market has pushed this number upward because of UNLV’s stature, not its reliability. That creates value on the Cats. UNLV is not a team you want to lay points with in a game like this — especially against a defense that won’t hand them easy possessions. Ohio can win this outright. Taking the points is the smart play.

UNLV Rebels vs Ohio Bobcats prediction: Ohio (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.