2024 LA Bowl Betting Lines - California vs. UNLV Odds

LA Bowl Lines - California vs. UNLV Odds

Barry Odom giveth, and then he taketh. Odom led the UNLV Rebels to two of the best seasons in program history, and that was going to catch Power Four attention much sooner rather than later. On December 8, Odom announced that he was leaving UNLV to take the head coaching position with the Purdue Boilermakers. Thus, it was unclear as to who would coach the Rebels in the LA Bowl against the California Golden Bears. Additionally, the Rebels will be going through a search for a new head coach and players could be entering the transfer portal because of Odom’s departure.

2024 LA Bowl at a Glance

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Time (ET) / TV: 9:00 PM / ESPN

Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Matchup: California Golden Bears vs. UNLV Rebels

College Football Betting Lines

California Golden Bears -1.5

UNLV Rebels +1.5

Over/Under: 50.5

LA Bowl Preview

Last game, the California Golden Bears lost 38-6 against the SMU Mustangs as 12.5-point road dogs. The game went under the total of 54.5. Cal has a record of 6-6 straight up, 6-6 against the spread, and 4-7-1 over/under the total. Cal ranks 70th for total offense, 27th for passing, 108th for rushing, and 82nd for scoring. Defensively they rank 41st overall, 94th against the pass, 16th against the rush, and 41st for points allowed. Also, Cal ranks 17th for fewest turnovers lost and 4th for takeaways.

Last game, the UNLV Rebels lost 21-7 against the Boise State Broncos as 4-point road dogs. The game went under the total of 57.5. UNLV has a record of 10-3 straight up, 7-5 against the spread, and 6-6 over/under the total. UNLV ranks 35th for total offense, 121st for passing, 5th for rushing, and 14th for scoring. Defensively they rank 50th overall, 106th against the pass, 17th against the rush, and 37th for points allowed. Also, UNLV ranks 15th for fewest turnovers lost and 8th for takeaways.

LA Bowl Prediction

In this situation, Cal will bring more stability and an ACC Power Four pedigree.

LA Bowl Format

SoFi Stadium is a new state-of-the-art venue in suburban Los Angeles. It is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL. SoFi Stadium is looking for additional bookings beyond its two NFL tenants as a sparkling new host.

Additionally, LA serves as a tourist magnet, especially in December when much of the United States turns cold. All of this made for the ingredients of a new bowl game. The LA Bowl hosted by Gronk is the result of such opportunism.

LA Bowl Past Results

Utah State won the first LA Bowl as they got past Oregon State. Cooper Legas threw for 171 yards and two TDs to lead the Aggies. Calvin Tyler Jr added 120 yards rushing with a TD. And Deven Thompkins had six catches for 115 yards and a score.

In 2022, Fresno State beat Washington State. Jake Haener’s 280-yard passing led the Bulldogs with two TDs, and Jordan Mims added 209 yards rushing with two TDs. Fresno State outgained Wazzu 501-182.

In 2023, after coming in early in the second half, Ethan Garbers threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns, TJ Harden rushed for two touchdowns, and UCLA rallied for a 35-22 victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl.

The Bruins trailed 16-7 at halftime and scored on their first three drives in the second half to take control of the contest, which took place 12 miles from the UCLA campus.

J. Michael Sturdivant had four receptions for 142 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter that put UCLA (8-5) up by three scores.

George Holani had both of Boise State's touchdowns and finished with 138 yards rushing on 17 carries. The Broncos (8-6) had won four straight games to claim the Mountain West title and earn the automatic bid to the game.

CJ Tiller was 12 of 21 for 117 yards for the Broncos in his first collegiate start.

2024-25 College Football Bowl Games

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