Wyoming Cowboys Week 5 NCAA Picks: Expert Weekly Predictions for Mid-Major Betting

Another week of Wyoming football and another week of brutal offensive football. The Cowboys are in desperate need of an injection of life to the offense as Sean Chambers just isn't getting it done under center. We know the Cowboys are just 3-1 and face a terrible UNLV squad this weekend. However, if the offense can't step up and make plays, the Cowboys are going to be on upset alert against one of the worst teams in the country. Don't let the 3-1 record fool you; this Wyoming team leaves a lot to be desired.

The goal of this weekly article is to help you understand the importance of specializing in one particular conference and/or on one particular team. I understand the fact that every bettor wants to be able to win their bets on the nationally televised games featuring ranked teams, but the truth of the matter is that those lines very rarely have any value left by the time you're able to bet them. Smaller conferences like the MWC may not have as many eyeballs on them as the Big Ten or SEC, but that helps us as bettors because the lines tend to be a little softer than the games featuring publicly backed teams.

Related: College Football Betting Tips

Each week this article will take give you a small recap on how the team fared in their last game. You'd be surprised at how many times a team's win/loss outcome was either justified or lucky to happen. The box score may say one thing, but actually watching the game and seeing what's happening is a vital tool in handicapping. At the end of the article, I'll give you a selection on the upcoming game. I'll be using the Doc's Sports Unit Betting System for every pick, which will allow readers to follow along and track the results.

Last Game

Despite the final result - a 24-21 loss to Tulsa, the Cowboys should feel extremely good about their offense as a whole. Instead of digging themselves an early deficit, the Cowboys came out and actually scored first thanks for a Sean Chambers' 33-yard run. The passing attack also got on track a bit with 214 yards despite completing just 10 passes in 31 attempts. Defensively, the Cowboys didn't have their best game as they allowed Tulsa to throw the ball all over the field, giving up 354 yards through the air and 437 in total yards.

Once again, it was a key turnover late in the game that ultimately sealed the fate of the game, as the Cowboys were inside Tulsa's five-yard line, threatening the game-winning touchdown, before fumbling the ball and ultimately blowing their chances. Moving forward, the offense still needs to show more consistency moving the ball downfield, especially in the passing game. Thankfully, the upcoming game against UNLV should give the offense a fighting chance as the Rebels gave up 441 yards in their loss last week to Northwestern and 498 yards to Arkansas State the week prior.

Week 5 vs UNLV

As of writing, this 5Dimes is the only site with a posted lined on this game. The current line is Wyoming -9 (-110) and the posted total is set at 49.5 (-110).

If you like underdogs, this would be a great time to jump on the UNLV wagon, that is only if you're a brave soul. UNLV has been shredded on defense over the course of the last two games, but they do come off a bye week and are relatively healthy heading into War Memorial Stadium. If there was ever a game where UNLV could pull off the upset, it would be in this spot against Wyoming, as the Cowboys are not only coming off a tough 24-21 road loss, but they also lost several key players in that game against Tulsa -- most notably, running back Trey Smith, who is said to be out of action for six to eight weeks. Guard Logan Harris and cornerback Tyler Hal are both undergoing concussion protocol, although both are not expected to be in the lineup on Saturday.

More than coming into this game healthy, the bye week affords the Rebels an extra week to prepare for the Wyoming attack and as such should be able to mitigate any advantages the Cowboys believe they have. From what we've seen out of the Cowboys so far, throwing the ball is an issue. And as such, the Rebels should be focused on stopping the run and forcing the QB to beat them with his arm - something he's not capable of doing.

Series History: Wyoming and UNLV have met seven times in the past, with the Cowboys holding a 4-3 edge in the series. The last meeting (2016) was a real shootout, with UNLV sneaking past Wyoming 69-66 in a triple-overtime thriller.

UNLV at Wyoming College Football Picks

Until we see otherwise, betting on the Wyoming Cowboys and their inept offense is a no go for us. The Cowboys simply haven't shown enough consistency moving the ball downfield through the passing game to warrant any confidence. Against a UNLV team who has been shredded in their last two games, giving up 939 total yards of offense, this is the game the Cowboys need to prove to us that they can in fact move the ball downfield in chunks and put points on the board. We sure as heck don't want to be laying nine points with the Cowboys, but we don't want to play the "over" either. We will take a pass on this game and so we can watch with an unbiased eye for a play next week.

Selection: No play on this game.

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