CALIFORNIA vs. UNLV (UNLV -3, 47.5)
CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS
BEARS @ REBELS 12/18/24
Tonight, the LA Bowl in Inglewood, California, is set to deliver an exciting matchup between the No. 24 UNLV Rebels and the Cal Bears, both teams experiencing notable changes in their staff and lineup.
The Rebels suffered a setback with their head coach Barry Odom's departure to Purdue, following a crushing 21-7 defeat to Boise State in the Mountain West Conference title game that shattered their College Football Playoff dreams. Despite the loss, UNLV (10-3) bounced back quickly, appointing Dan Mullen, ex-head coach for Florida and Mississippi State, as their new leader.
For the LA Bowl, the Rebels' coaching responsibilities will fall onto the shoulders of interim coach, Del Alexander. Drawing from his past experiences and successful bowl game records, Alexander aims to keep his team focused and energized for tonight.
Cal is dealing with its own roster shake-up, with several key players such as star quarterback Fernando Mendoza and leading receiver Nyziah Hunter deciding to transfer. Cal also initiated changes in the coaching staff, replacing offensive coordinator Mike Bloesch with ex-Auburn and Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin.
As they prepare for the bowl game, quarterbacks CJ Harris and EJ Caminong have been sharing practice reps, with Chandler Rogers on the mend. Coach Justin Wilcox reveals that play-calling will be a team effort, with several staff members collaborating on the run and pass games.
Despite losing their head coach, only running back Greg Burrell chose to transfer from UNLV. Even though cornerback Tony Grimes also announced his transfer decision, he will still participate in the upcoming game. On a positive note, their quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, who has had an impressive career at both Campbell and UNLV, will make his final collegiate start in tonight’s game.
UNLV's Jackson Woodard, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, will also play, closing out a successful career that saw him finish as a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy. That goes to the nation’s top walk-on.
Rebels' star receiver Ricky White, who is on the brink of breaking UNLV's all-time receiving record, is anticipated to make a significant impact in the game before his planned graduation in the spring and subsequent transition to the NFL draft.
The two programs have only met one other time. That was in the 2022 season. Cal won that game 20-14. The Bears won one of their final three games to finish 6-6. They went 0-3 ATS in those final three games. UNLV finished the season 10-3. The Rebels won 6 of their last 7 games. They only covered in 3 of their final 8 games.
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COACH RICK FREE PICK:
JADYN OTT UNDER 50.5 RUSHING YARDS
UNLV has the No. 18-ranked rushing defense in the country. They only allowed 113.6 rushing yards per game this season. That’s after getting torched by the nation’s leading rusher Ashton Jeanty of Boise State for 209 yards. Ott is nowhere near the caliber of Jeanty and the Bears offensive line doesn’t compare to the Broncos. Ott played in nine games this season for Cal. Only twice did he surpass this number. He’s had double-digit carries in each of his last five games, but only went Over 50 yards once. Ott averages just 2.9 yards per carry.