Cal vs. UNLV: Art of Sport LA Bowl Prediction and Betting Lines

UNLV was a tough loss in the Mountain West Championship to Boise State away from making the College Football Playoff, and it is now undergoing an overhaul before wrapping up the best season in the program’s history.

This is UNLV’s sixth bowl game; it has not won one since 2000, and now head coach Barry Odom is at Purdue, former Mississippi State and Florida head coach Dan Mullen is in, with receivers coach Del Alexander taking over in the interim.

Cal, on the other hand, is back in a bowl game for the second year in a row after losing 34-14 to Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl, and it has a chance to win in its first season as an ACC member.

Cal vs UNLV: How to Watch the Art of Sport LA Bowl, and Game Preview

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET
How To Watch: ESPN
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Teams: UNLV (10-3), Cal (6-6)

Why Cal Will Win

Just how different will things be without Odom?

Yes, UNLV has been fantastic the last two years under the new Boilermaker coach, but last year’s team stalled in the Mountain West Championship and went on to lose in the bowl. Could this be the same if Cal’s defense holds up?

The Bears have the turnover advantage, are excellent defensively on third downs, and should be able to slow this game down a bit.

The defense did not record any takeaways in the last three games, but it did 22 times before that. If UNLV’s coaching changes cause them to lose focus and make mistakes,

Why UNLV Will Win

How different will things be once Odom is gone? Give UNLV credit. So far, the speed of the move to Mullen appears to have been able to keep the transfers under control.

Yes, it is all about the NIL money right now, but – for the time being – there appears to be a sense of continuity keeping the majority of the star parts around.

On the other hand, Cal’s quarterback situation is highly questionable. Fernando Mendoza is in the portal, as is top target Nzyaih Hunter, so if most of the Rebel defense’s parts, particularly star LB Jackson Woodard, are still available, the run defense may be strong enough to complete the task.

Cal will want to pound away, but UNLV is 8-0 when allowing less than 136 rushing yards and 2-3 when giving up more. Cal has only reached 136 points twice and must adjust its style on the fly. All that and…

Cal vs UNLV: Who Will Win?

UNLV does not turn it over.

The Rebels are playing with house money. Of course, winning this would be huge, but the emphasis is on the upcoming Mullen era. Cal’s loss means a losing season to a Group of Five program without a head coach.

This one is all about keeping an eye on the top Rebels to ensure their survival. If that is the case, the defense should dominate a battered and patched-together Bears line that is likely to be missing a few starters.

Even at full speed, Cal is terrible at keeping teams out of the backfield and does not run well enough. Again, this could change quickly, but UNLV’s current personnel should be stronger than Cal’s quarterback situation.