California Golden Bears vs UNLV Rebels Matchup

Check out our free California Golden Bears vs UNLV Rebels pick and preview for this CFB Art of Sport LA Bowl game in Inglewood. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this Art of Sport LA Bowl CFB matchup.

ESPN will be covering this Art of Sport LA Bowl matchup between the California Golden Bears and UNLV Rebels, set for Wednesday, December 18th, at 9:00 ET. The game will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, with California designated as the away team. The Bears are 6-6 on the season, and UNLV comes in with a 10-3 record. The over/under line is at 51.5 points, and the Bears are the -2.5-point favorites. The money line odds are -130 for California and +110 for UNLV.

Golden Bears vs. Rebels Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: California Golden Bears at UNLV Rebels
Where: Inglewood at SoFi Stadium
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds CAH -2.5, CAH -130 | UNLV +110 O/U 51.5

Golden Bears Preview:

California enters Week 13 with a 6-6 record, going 3-3 at home and 2-3 on the road. They’ve been favored in six games this season, posting a 4-2 record as the favorite.

The Golden Bears have a +3.9 average scoring margin and are 6-5 against the spread. They’ve gone 3-3 ATS at home and 3-2 on the road.

This season, Cal’s over/under record stands at 3-6-2. Their games average 48.2 points, with an average over/under line of 52.2 points. This week’s line is set at 51.5 points.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

California’s offense ranks 74th in our CFB offensive power rankings heading into week 1. They averaged 26.1 points per game last season, placing them 59th nationally. The Golden Bears have been more effective through the air, ranking 29th in passing yards per game, with an average of 266.3 yards. They were 17th in completions, with 23.6 per game, and 26th in attempts, averaging 35.2 per game. Their third-down conversion rate was 37.7%, ranking 88th, and their passer rating was 95, which ranks 50th.

Fernando Mendoza leads the team with 3,004 passing yards and a passer rating of 99. He completed 68.7% of his passes last season, throwing 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Jaivian Thomas leads the rushing attack with 598 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Nyziah Hunter is the top receiver, with 578 yards and 5 touchdowns on 40 catches.

Golden Bears Team Defense

California's defense, ranked 29th nationally, has allowed 22.2 points per game this season. In their recent game against SMU, they gave up 38 points, including three passing touchdowns and 304 passing yards. SMU completed 31 of 51 passes and totaled 458 yards of offense.

On average, Cal's defense has allowed 234.2 passing yards per game, ranking 116th, and 110.1 rushing yards, which ranks 22nd. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 56.9% of their passes and have a passer rating of 72.3 against Cal’s defense.

Rebels Preview:

California enters Week 13 with a 6-6 record, going 3-3 at home and 2-3 on the road. They’ve been favored in six games this season, posting a 4-2 record as the favorite.

The Golden Bears have a +3.9 average scoring margin and are 6-5 against the spread. They’ve gone 3-3 ATS at home and 3-2 on the road.

This season, Cal’s over/under record stands at 3-6-2. Their games average 48.2 points, with an average over/under line of 52.2 points. This week’s line is set at 51.5 points.

Rebels Offense Breakdown

UNLV’s offense is built around their rushing attack, ranking 3rd in the nation with 255.9 yards per game on the ground. They are 4th in rushing attempts, averaging 43.6 per game. Jai'Den Thomas leads the team with 843 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns, and an average of 5 yards per carry. Overall, UNLV is 13th in scoring, putting up 36.2 points per game, and they are 51st in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1.

Quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams has thrown for 1,845 yards, completing 62% of his passes, with 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He has a passer rating of 101. Ricky White III has been the top target, with 1,041 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 catches.

Rebels Team Defense

UNLV's defense has been a bright spot, ranking 23rd nationally by allowing just 110.6 rushing yards per game. In their recent game against Boise State, they gave up 218 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while allowing 158 passing yards. Overall, Boise State gained 376 yards against UNLV’s defense.

Despite ranking 131st in passing yards allowed per game at 241.2, opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of just 75.3 against UNLV, completing 55.7% of their throws. This season, UNLV’s defense is giving up 21.9 points per game, which ranks 38th nationally.

Golden Bears vs Rebels Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the California Golden Bears last ten road games, the team averaged 20 points per game while allowing 27. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 4-6 straight-up.
Through their last ten home contests, the UNLV Rebels offense has averaged 30 points per game while allowing an average of 22. UNLV posted an overall record of 8-2 while going 7-3 ATS.
Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, UNLV has an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the California Golden Bears have a straight up record of 2-1, while going 1-2 against the spread.