The 2024 college football season gets underway on Saturday with a light Week 0 schedule. One of those games is the 24th-ranked SMU Mustangs taking on the Nevada Wolf Pack in a key non-conference matchup in Reno, Nev. The Mustangs, who joined the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, finished 2023 with an 11-3 record. The Wolf Pack, who finished 2-6 in the Mountain West Conference a year ago, was 2-10 overall.

Kickoff from Mackay Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. The all-time series is tied 3-3, but SMU has won the last two meetings. The Mustangs are 27.5-point favorites in the latest SMU vs. Nevada odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5. 

Before making any SMU vs. Nevada picks or CFB predictions, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen STRONG returns!

The model knows SMU junior quarterback Preston Stone is coming off a solid season a year ago. In 12 games, he completed 206 of 344 passes (59.9%) for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was picked off just six times and had a rating of 161.3. In a 69-10 win over Tulsa on Oct. 28, he completed 15 of 20 passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns.

The model also knows redshirt junior quarterback Brendon Lewis returns for the Wolf Pack. In 12 games in 2023, he completed 131 of 236 passes (55.5%) for 1,313 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed 120 times for 495 yards (4.1 average) and four scores. His best passing game came in a 45-27 loss to UNLV on Oct. 14, completing 16 of 31 passes (51.6%) for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions.

The model has simulated SMU vs. Nevada 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time!

Who wins SMU vs. Nevada, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the model on a 13-9 roll on top-rated CFB picks!