Check out our free California Golden Bears vs SMU Mustangs pick and preview for this CFB week 14 game in Dallas. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 14 CFB matchup.
SMU is the heavy favorite in this week 14 matchup against California, with a -13.5 point spread in their favor. The game is set to kick off at 3:30 ET from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, and ESPN2 will be covering the action. The over/under line is currently at 57.5 points. SMU comes in with a 10-1 record, while California is 6-5 on the season.
Golden Bears vs. Mustangs Matchup At A Glance
- Sport: CFB
- Teams: California Golden Bears at SMU Mustangs
- Where: Dallas at Gerald J. Ford Stadium
- Date: Saturday, November 30th
- Betting Odds SMU -13.5, CAH +371 | SMU -498 O/U 57.5
Golden Bears Preview:
California heads into Week 14 against SMU with a 6-5 record, ensuring bowl eligibility. They are 3-3 at home and 2-2 on the road this season. The Golden Bears have been favored in six of their 11 games, going 4-2 as the favorite. In our power rankings, they are 46th, with a 0% chance of winning the Atlantic Coast but a 100% chance of being bowl eligible.
California’s ATS record stands at 6-4, with a +7.2 average scoring margin this season. They are 3-1 against the spread on the road and 3-3 at home. As the favorite, they are 3-3 ATS, while they’ve gone 3-1 against the spread as the underdog.
The over/under line for this week is 57.5 points. California’s games have averaged 48.6 points, with their over/under record at 3-5-2. They’ve had eight games with lower lines than this week’s total and three with higher lines, with an average line of 52 points.
Golden Bears Offense Breakdown
California’s offense is centered around their passing game, ranking 22nd in passing attempts per game. They are 12th in completions, averaging 24.5 per game, and 21st in passing yards, with 276.1 per game. Overall, they are 54th in scoring, with 27.9 points per game, and are 74th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 14.
Fernando Mendoza leads the team with 3,004 passing yards and a 68.7% completion rate. He has thrown 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, with a passer rating of 99. Jaivian Thomas is the leading rusher with 598 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Nyziah Hunter has 493 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Golden Bears Team Defense
California's defense has been solid this season, ranking 25th nationally by allowing just 20.7 points per game. They are 22nd in the country against the run, giving up only 109.6 rushing yards per game on 32.2 attempts per contest.
In their recent game against Stanford, Cal’s defense allowed 21 points, giving up 120 rushing yards and 141 passing yards. Stanford completed 15 of 29 passes and gained 14 first downs.
Mustangs Preview:
California heads into Week 14 against SMU with a 6-5 record, ensuring bowl eligibility. They are 3-3 at home and 2-2 on the road this season. The Golden Bears have been favored in six of their 11 games, going 4-2 as the favorite. In our power rankings, they are 46th, with a 0% chance of winning the Atlantic Coast but a 100% chance of being bowl eligible.
California’s ATS record stands at 6-4, with a +7.2 average scoring margin this season. They are 3-1 against the spread on the road and 3-3 at home. As the favorite, they are 3-3 ATS, while they’ve gone 3-1 against the spread as the underdog.
The over/under line for this week is 57.5 points. California’s games have averaged 48.6 points, with their over/under record at 3-5-2. They’ve had eight games with lower lines than this week’s total and three with higher lines, with an average line of 52 points.
Mustangs Offense Breakdown
Heading into week 14, SMU’s offense is 5th in the nation in scoring, averaging 39.3 points per game. They are ranked 26th in our offensive power rankings. Quarterback Kevin Jennings has thrown for 2,521 yards with a passer rating of 107. SMU is 17th in passer rating and 16th in third-down conversions, converting 47.2% of their attempts.
Jennings has completed 66.7% of his passes, with 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. SMU is 30th in passing yards, averaging 260.6 yards per game. On the ground, they average 189.5 rushing yards per game. Brashard Smith leads the rushing attack with 1,086 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry.
Mustangs Team Defense
SMU's defense is coming off an impressive performance, allowing just 7 points in their recent game against Virginia. They held the Cavaliers to 173 total yards, including only 65 rushing yards on 39 attempts and 108 passing yards.
On the season, SMU ranks 9th nationally in rushing yards allowed, giving up just 97.3 yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 55.5% of their passes and hold a passer rating of 76 against SMU’s defense.
Golden Bears vs Mustangs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis
- Across their last five road contests, California has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 21 points per game.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, SMU has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 32 per game. The team went 5-0 overall in these games.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, California has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 0-3 straight up.
- The SMU Mustangs have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
California Golden Bears vs SMU Mustangs Free Pick
- KnupSports.com Free Betting Pick: SMU Mustangs -13.5 Be sure to check out our other CFB Football betting previews for this week. KnupSports.com also updates their sports betting picks page daily with plays across all sports.
