California Golden Bears vs UNLV Rebels Betting Pick & Prediction Art of Sport LA Bowl

ESPN will be covering the Art of Sport LA Bowl, where the California Golden Bears and UNLV Rebels will face off at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The game is set for 9:00 ET on Wednesday, December 18th, with California coming in with a 6-6 season record. UNLV is the home team but is technically a neutral site game. The over/under line is at 51.5 points, and the Bears are the slight -2.5-point favorites. The Rebels have a 10-3 record this season.

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS VS UNLV REBELS BETTING PICK

The Pick: UNLV Rebels +2.5

This game will be played at SoFi Stadium at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, December 18th.

WHY BET THE UNLV REBELS:

• We have the UNLV Rebels winning this one by a score of 28 to 26
• Not only do we have the UNLV Rebels winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +2.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 51.5 points

Can The California Golden Bears Pick Up A Win At SoFi Stadium?

California enters their Week 13 matchup against UNLV with a 6-6 record. They’ve gone 3-3 at home and 2-3 on the road this season. The Golden Bears have been favored in six of their 12 games, and they’ve posted a 4-2 record when playing as the favorite.

Cal’s ATS record stands at 6-5, and they have a +3.9 average scoring margin. They’ve gone 3-3 against the spread at home and 3-2 on the road. As the favorite, their ATS record is 3-3.

The over/under line for this week is 51.5 points. Cal’s games have averaged 48.2 points, and their over/under record is 3-6-2. Their average over/under line this season has been 52.2 points, with seven games featuring higher lines than this week’s total.

Heading into week 1, California’s offense is ranked 74th in our college football power rankings, and they are 59th in points scored, averaging 26.1 per game. They have been more effective in the passing game, ranking 29th in passing yards per game, with 266.3 yards, and 17th in completions, averaging 23.6 per game. They are 26th in passing attempts.

Fernando Mendoza leads the team with 3,004 passing yards and a 68.7% completion rate. He has thrown 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, with a passer rating of 99. On the ground, California is averaging 117.6 rushing yards per game. Jaivian Thomas has rushed for 598 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Nyziah Hunter has 578 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns on 40 catches.

California’s defense has allowed 22.2 points per game this season, ranking 29th nationally. They’ve given up 234.2 passing yards per game, ranking 116th, but have held opposing quarterbacks to a 72.3 passer rating, the 21st-lowest in the country. They’ve also allowed a 56.9% completion rate, ranking 34th.

In their recent game against SMU, California allowed 38 points and 458 total yards, including 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. They also forced one interception in the game.

Can The UNLV Rebels Take Care Of Business On A Neutral Field?

UNLV enters Week 1 against California with a 10-3 record, going 6-1 on the road and 3-1 at home. They’ve been favored in seven of their 13 games, holding a perfect 7-0 record as the favorite.

Their ATS record stands at 6-5, with a +14.3 average scoring margin. They are 4-3 against the spread as the favorite this season.

UNLV’s over/under record is 4-7, with their games averaging 58.2 points. The average over/under line has been 57.3 points, compared to this week’s line of 51.5.

UNLV’s offense ranks 13th in points per game, scoring 36.2, and they are 51st in our offensive power rankings heading into this week. They have the 3rd best rushing attack in the nation, averaging 255.9 yards per game on the ground, with 43.6 rushing attempts per game, the 4th most in college football.

Jai’Den Thomas leads the Rebels with 843 rushing yards, averaging 5 yards per carry and scoring 7 touchdowns. Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams has thrown for 1,845 yards with 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 101. Ricky White III has 1,041 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 receptions.

UNLV’s defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 38th nationally by allowing just 21.9 points per game. Against Boise State, they gave up 21 points, allowing 376 total yards, including 218 rushing yards and 158 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 110.6 rushing yards per game against UNLV, ranking 23rd nationally. Quarterbacks have completed 55.7% of their passes for an average passer rating of 75.3, while averaging 241.2 passing yards per game.