LA Bowl Preview: California Golden Bears vs. UNLV Rebels – Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024

The California Golden Bears (6-6) look to post a win in the Art of Sport LA Bowl against the 24th-ranked UNLV Rebels (10-3) on Wednesday, December 18 at 9:00 PM ET at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. This matchup is expected to be close, as the Bears are favored with a point spread at -1.0 (-110).

California Golden Bears Betting Preview

The Golden Bears are coming off of a 38-6 blowout defeat against the SMU Mustangs. This marked their second loss in the last two games, showing they have some issues coming into this bowl game.

They were down 21-0 at the half and could only post field goals to score the entire game. On top of that, they let the Mustangs score 17 points in the fourth quarter, which was the most out of any quarter for the game. Chandler Rogers posted eight of 15 competitions for 84 yards, which shows how bad the offense was.

Their offense put up 254 yards and 14 first downs while giving up 415 yards and 20 first downs. They also had the ball longer than the Mustangs by a few minutes, but could not ultimately come up with anything productive.

Offensively the Golden Bears are getting 26.1 points a game and rank 82nd for their effort. On defense they have allowed 22.2 points a game, which puts them at 41st. This is a solid spread to have, but they cannot afford any mistakes.

UNLV Rebels Betting Preview

The Rebels lost 21-7 against the (now third-ranked) Boise State Broncos in their latest game, which also marked the second loss against them this season out of their three losses total. UNLV’s resume packs a punch with quality wins, but they have more business to take care of with a lot of changes going on.

Their ratio margins for turnovers are good and they are solid in their ability to slow teams down on third downs. Rebels defense has also forced a lot of turnovers this season, but they have not been as productive in their last few games.

This could be the perfect matchup for the Rebels, as the Golden Bears tend to run the ball more. The Rebels can grind this game back and milk the clock, which would be in their favor. They also do not turn the ball over that much, which should help.

The Rebels are getting 36.2 points a game and rank 14th in the nation. Their defense has allowed 21.9 points a game, ranking 37th. This margin of victory should be enough for them to have a compelling win.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has you covered for Art of Sport LA Bowl odds, showdown the Golden Bears as one-point favorites. However, market predictions are insisting that the Rebels have a 54.6 percent chance of winning outright.

At the present moment, the core group of the Rebels are playing in the LA Bowl and it should be enough to overcome the Golden Bears. If the majority of their defense is still intact, they should be able to slow down what little the Golden Bears have to provide offensively. 

Final Pick: UNLV Rebels -1.0 (-110)

Note: This pick and article has been written by one of our Spooky Express writers. This is NOT the legendary “Spooky Express Bowling for Dollars Picks”.  Those picks can be found in the link posted above, normally on the day of the bowl game. Leverage the knowledge of seasoned pro “Spooky” and elevate your sports betting experience to a new level!