Following a glorious marathon of Week 1 college football games, Saturday, September 5’s schedule wraps up with the late-night slate on the West Coast. While must-see squads like #2 Oregon and #14 USC are not on this week’s late-night schedule, several games still catch the eye.
For example, UCLA vs. California are programs entering new head coaching eras. UNLV vs. Hawaii is an early Mountain West collision, featuring two schools that could compete for a conference championship.
We’ll break down those two matchups and more in our best college football predictions for Saturday’s late-night slate, featuring point spreads, winner payouts, and over/unders on PrizePicks.
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UNLV vs. Hawaii Prediction on Spread for NCAAF Week 1
Time, How to Watch: 10:00 p.m. ET on CW
The Mountain West features an early-season battle between UNLV and Hawaii. According to PrizePicks, UNLV has the second-shortest payout to win the Mountain West Championship (3.33x), while Hawaii sports the fifth-shortest payout (7.14x).
We’ve got true conference implications in Week 1, and each team has one contest under its belt following Week 0. The Rebels opened the season with a 27-21 loss vs. Memphis, and the Rainbow Warriors fell 37-27 vs. Stanford.
According to Game On Paper, UNLV posted 0.12 adjusted EPA per play (77th percentile) compared to Hawaii’s -0.03 (35th percentile) in the 2025 season. However, the Rebels return only 40% of production on offense (18th percentile), per Bill Connelly of ESPN.
Despite gaining 460 yards while QB Jackson Arnold logged 291 passing yards and 7.9 yards per passing attempt in Week 0, UNLV tallied only 21 points, partially thanks to converting only 3 of 15 third-down attempts.
Considering Arnold’s success through the air, he could light up the Rainbow Warriors’ secondary with 220.5 projected pass yards on PrizePicks. Hawaii surrendered 310 passing yards and 9.1 yards per passing attempt vs. Stanford last week.
The Rainbow Warriors also leaned on the pass in Week 0, with 52 passing attempts compared to 22 carries. That’s further emphasized by QB Micah Alejado’s 275.5 projected pass yards via PrizePicks. UNLV was shredded for 5.7 yards per rushing attempt last week, but facing a pass-heavy attack could ease that worry.
After last week’s third-down struggles, the Rebels look to tap back into 2025’s 46.8% third-down conversion rate (89th percentile), and Hawaii gave up a 43.8% mark in Week 0.
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UCLA vs. California Prediction on Over/Under for NCAAF Week 1
Time, How to Watch: 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
UCLA vs. California headlines the late-night slate, featuring a Power Four battle with each team debuting a new head coach.
Following a 3-9 season, the Bruins hired former James Madison head coach Bob Chesney. California moved on from the nine-season Justin Wilcox era, landing Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi as the program’s new head man.
Despite each team undergoing coaching changes, both squads have solid returning experience. In fact, UCLA is ninth in returning production, compared to California sitting 43rd. The offenses especially draw attention, as the Bruins bring back 73% of production (fifth) while the Golden Bears sport 70% (11th).
That includes UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava and California QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele — who carries true NFL upside. Last season, the Bruins had a 50.9% pass-play rate (65th percentile) compared to the Golden Bears’ sky-high 58.5% mark (95th percentile).
Frankly, each offense will likely keep leaning on its strength. That may mean plenty of passing attempts, contributing to more plays and potentially more points. Iamaleava's projected 207.5 pass yards sit behind Sagapolutele's 263.5 pass yards, per PrizePicks.
While each defense could improve throughout 2026, we can’t ignore UCLA’s 0.00 adjusted EPA per play allowed (50th percentile) and California’s 0.04 mark (29th percentile) from a season ago. Both defenses are likely a work in progress, and against high-volume passing attacks, that may lead to fireworks in Week 1’s late-night schedule.
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Western Kentucky vs. Nevada Prediction on Winner for NCAAF Week 1
Time, How to Watch: 10:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
Rounding out our best college basketball predictions for the late-night schedule, Western Kentucky vs. Nevada could be one of the most tightly contested games of the day.
As usual, returning experience plays a major factor in Week 1 predictions. Despite Western Kentucky entering the eighth season with head coach Tyson Helton calling the shots, this program returns just 32% of its total production (133rd).
Nevada has been the doormat of the Mountain West, failing to surpass three wins in four straight seasons. New faces are likely a welcomed sight, as the Wolf Pack return 48% of their production (91st) for head coach Jeff Choate’s third campaign.
Each program has multiple years under its current head coach, providing more weight to past stats.
For example, WKU finished in the 95th, 67th, and 88th percentiles for the highest pass-play rates over the last three seasons. Nevada’s downfield pass attack was nonexistent last season, proven by 5.8 yards per passing attempt (fifth percentile). The Wolf Pack leaned on the run instead, ranking in the 54th and 71st percentiles for the highest rush-play rates in Choate’s first two seasons.
Western Kentucky defensive coordinator Tyson Summers left for a lateral move to Colorado State, but the Hilltoppers have some retention, as linebackers coach Davis Merritt was promoted to DC. WKU’s defense was excellent on key plays in 2025, limiting teams to a 35.6% third-down conversion rate (72nd percentile) and an 81.3% red zone score rate (70th percentile).
If this strength carries to 2026, Nevada had an alarming 31.9% third-down conversion rate (10th percentile) and a 72.7% red zone score rate (10th percentile) on offense last year.
In a game that could truly be a coin toss, Western Kentucky winning the third down and red zone battles could be enough to push for a win on the road.
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If you like quarterback play, the late-night slate could be just what the doctor ordered. UCLA vs. California features a potential QB duel between Nico Iamaleava and Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, while Western Kentucky has built a reputation for its high-volume air raid attack.
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