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Bowl Season continues in Los Angeles as Cal and UNLV face off in the Art of Sport LA Bowl. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Cal-UNLV Art of Sport LA Bowl prediction and pick.
Cal-UNLV Last Game – Matchup History
Cal comes into the game at 6-6 on the year. After opening the year 3-0, they would fall in four straight games, including giving Florida State their only conference win of the year. Still, Cal would rebound to win three of the next four, defeating Oregon State, Wake Forest, and Stanford in the process. They would end their regular season with a 38-6 loss to SMU. Meanwhile, UNLV is 10-3 on the year. They opened up 4-0 before a loss to Syracuse. They would lose to Boise State at home later in the season and then fell to Boise State again in the Mountain West Title game 21-7. They will have a new head coach in this game. Barry Odom has accepted the job at Purdue leaving Del Alexander to coach this game, as UNLV prepares for Dan Mullen to take over the team next year.
Overall Series: This will be just the second time that Cal and UNLV have faced off. Cal won the only meeting at home in 2022, taking the 20-14 victory.
Here are the Cal-UNLV College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Cal-UNLV Odds
Cal: -1.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -113
UNLV: +1.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -106
Over: 48.5 (-105)
Under: 48.5 (-115)
How to Watch Cal vs. UNLV
Time: 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Cal Could Cover The Spread/Win
Fernando Mendoza had led the Cal offense this year. He has completed 265 of 386 passes this year for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions. Mendoza also ran for two scores this year, but Mendoza has entered the transfer portal and is not expected to play in this game. with Chandler Rogers dealing with injuries, it could be CJ Harris or EJ Caminong starting at quarterback. Harris is 6-11 for 75 yards and an interception this year, while the true freshman Caminong has not attempted a pass.
Joining Mendoza in the transfer portal is wide receiver Nyziah Hunter. He has 40 receptions for 578 yards and five scores. That will mean tight end Jack Endries will need to step up even more. The tight end has 49 receptions for 562 yards and two scores on the year. Trond Grizzell has also been solid, with 27 receptions for 401 yards. Jonathan Brady rounds out the top targets. He brought in 36 receptions for 386 yards and three scores. The running game has been led by Jaivian Thomas. He has run 91 times for 598 yards and seven scores.
Cal has been great on defense this year. They are 32nd in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 35th in opponent yards per game. They are 14th against the run while sitting 82nd against the pass. Teddye Buchanan has been solid this year. He leads the team in tackles while having five sacks, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Meanwhile, Nohl Williams has been amazing in the secondary. He has eight pass breakups, seven interceptions, and a touchdown. Finally, Xavier Carlton has nine sacks on the year.
Why UNLV Could Cover The Spread/Win
After Matt Sluka left the team early in the year, Hajj-Malik Williams took over the UNLV offense. He completed 145 of 234 passes this year for 1,845 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was intercepted just five times as well. While Williams lost 167 yards from 26 sacks, he still ran for a total of 824 yards and scored nine times on the ground.
In the receiving game, Ricky White III has led the way. While there was speculation to as if White would sit this game it, it seems he will play in this one. He had 79 receptions this year for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jacob De Jesus has brought in 34 receptions for 474 yards and two scores this year. In the running game, Jai'Den Thomas has led the way. He has run for 846 yards and seven scores this year.
UNLV was 35th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 49th in opponent yards per game. They were 19th against the run and 95th against the pass. Jackson Woodard has led the way. He led the team in tackles while having 3.5 sacks, four interceptions, nine pass brekaups, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown.
Final Cal-UNLV Prediction & Pick
UNLV is 7-6 against the spread this year, covering in two of the last three games. Cal is 6-6 against the spread and has failed to cover in three in a row. The weakest part of this UNLV squad has been the pass defense. Still, Cal will most likely be sending out an inexperienced quarterback in this one. UNLV has been the better team this year and will get the win.
Final Cal-UNLV Prediction & Pick: UNLV ML (-106)
