Memphis heads into this one still carrying the memory of how last season ended: a 31-7 bowl loss to NC State in which the offense could barely move the ball, and that unit now has to find rhythm again in a true road opener against a UNLV team that went 10-3 a year ago. UNLV is the more battle-tested program in this spot, but new season, new depth chart, and Week 0 games have a well-documented track record of playing under the number regardless of how either team finished the year before. Both staffs are working out their offensive rotations and red zone execution for the first time in live competition, and that early-season sloppiness tends to show up in stalled drives more than it does in a track meet. Memphis's defense, for its part, was competitive for most of 2025, aside from that bowl no-show, giving this game a path to staying low-scoring even if the home team controls the game plan. The UNDER is the right side here.
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