Boise State vs. UNLV live stream, where to watch, TV channel, odds, spread, prediction, picks

No. 17 Boise State travels to Las Vegas to take on UNLV on Friday night in the marquee Mountain West on CBS Sports Network. This game has huge implications for the College Football Playoff picture, as the Broncos are currently in the driver's seat of securing one of the five automatic bids awarded to the conference champions to the inaugural 12-team event.

After a bye, Boise State defeated Hawaii 28-7 in its last game on October 12th. The Broncos' only loss came in Week 2 against No. 1 Oregon. They were a total of almost 22 minutes behind this season. which ranks fourth in the FBS behind Indiana, Army and Ole Miss.

UNLV also enters Week 9 with just one non-conference loss and could be Boise State's biggest challenger for the MWC title. The Rebels are coming off a 33-25 win over Oregon State, their second straight win after losing to Syracuse in overtime earlier this month.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the Boise State-UNLV game.

How to watch Boise State vs. UNLV live

Date: Friday, Oct. 25 | Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas

TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Keep streaming Paramount+ with Showtime (try for free)

Boise State vs. UNLV: Need to know

CFP hopes are at stake: The winner of this game gets the inside track to the Mountain West title game and potentially the CFP. UNLV, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State all go 2-0 in conference play heading into Week 9. UNLV already has wins over Kansas, Fresno State, Houston and Oregon State. At No. 17, Boise State is the top-ranked Group of Five team in the AP poll.

Ashton Jeanty was unstoppable: According to Caesars Sportsbook, Jeanty has odds of +250 to win the Heisman Trophy. The budding superstar is attempting to become the first running back to win the award since Alabama's Derrick Henry in 2015 and the first non-power conference player to do so since BYU's Ty Detmer in 1990. With 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground, Jeanty is on pace to challenge Barry Sanders' single-season rushing records in both categories. To say that UNLV will base its defensive plan around stopping Jeanty would be a massive understatement. The question is: will it matter?

UNLV is better with Hajj-Malik Williams: UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka caused quite a stir when he announced he was resigning from the program due to unfulfilled NIL obligations. UNLV turned to Williams, and he provided the spark they needed to stay in the CFP picture. Williams has thrown for 838 yards and 10 touchdowns and also has 390 yards and four scores on the ground. He will be UNLV's x-factor against Boise State.

Boise State vs UNLV Prediction, Tips

This game will come down to UNLV containing Jeanty, something no team has come close to doing so far this year. UNLV has the 20th ranked run defense in the FBS (104.4 yards allowed per game), which will (statistically) be the best unit Jeanty has faced all year. Having a player of Jeanty's caliber makes all the difference in a coin toss game like this. Betting favorite Boise State wins this game and covers on the road, taking a big step toward a spot in the College Football Playoff. Pick: Boise State -3.5

All odds via Caesars Sportsbook. Check out the latest Caesars promo code to get in on the game.

SportsLine's proven computer model calls for five upsets in Week 9 of college football. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times.