UNLV was essentially a win away from making it to the College Football Playoff.
The Rebels won two Power Four games early in the season against Houston and Kansas. And even after Matthew Sluka sat out for the rest of the year and Hajj-Malik Williams stepped in at quarterback, UNLV kept winning.
The Rebels went 10-2 during the regular season. They only fell against Syracuse in overtime and against Boise State by five points.
That led to a rematch in the Mountain West Championship between UNLV and Boise State. But the Broncos were too strong on both sides of the ball and beat UNLV again.
Now, Boise State will appear in the CFP. But UNLV will still compete in a good bowl game, as the Rebels will take on Cal in the LA Bowl.
Since the Mountain West title game, head coach Barry Odom has gone to Purdue and UNLV has hired Dan Mullen to replace him. How will that affect the Rebels in this contest?
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Cal vs. UNLV Betting Odds
Cal is a +3.5 college football betting odds underdog against UNLV, with the Over/Under being 46.5.
The moneyline for Cal is +135, while it’s -165 for UNLV.
Cal vs. UNLV On TV
The matchup between Cal and UNLV will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The contest is taking place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Cal vs. UNLV Prediction
I predict UNLV will win and cover the spread at -3.5. I also project the game will go Over 46.5 total points.
Even if the Rebels were favored by six points, I think I would still pick them to cover.
Yes, UNLV is dealing with a coaching change. But I believe a playmaker like quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams will shine in a matchup like this. I’m expecting the young signal caller will prove how great he can be in this matchup.
UNLV was also well-rounded this year. The Rebels ranked in the top 15 in the country in terms of scoring offense (36.2 points per game) and top 40 in terms of scoring defense (21.92 points per game allowed) going into bowl season.
Cal was also decent on defense this season, tying for 42nd in the nation with 22.17 points per game allowed. But I think the Rebels, who have already defeated two P4 programs this season, will find a way to put up plenty of points in this matchup.
