Coaching, QB changes cause major line moves in UNLV-Cal LA Bowl
The line on the LA Bowl between UNLV and Cal has bounced around the past week amid a Rebels’ coaching change and a Golden Bears’ quarterback change.
The consensus line for Wednesday’s game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, was pick’em on Monday and the consensus total was 48.
Cal opened as a 1½-point favorite. The spread then shot up as high as -5½ after coach Barry Odom left UNLV to become Purdue’s coach on Dec. 8.
The line dropped back to 1½ following Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s announcement Dec. 11 that he planned to enter the transfer portal. It has since dipped to pick’em.
“It’s just a game with a lot of unknowns to it,” Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said. “Between now and Wednesday, who knows what can happen. It’s on an hour by hour information basis.
“It sounds like Cal may start a freshman (quarterback) that’s never taken a snap this year.”
UNLV hired Dan Mullen to replace Odom, but wide receivers coach Del Alexander will serve as the Rebels’ interim coach for the bowl game.
The total has dropped 3½ points after opening at 51½. Cal (6-6, 6-6 ATS) is one of the top under teams in the country, with a 7-3-2 record to the under this season.
The Rebels (10-3, 7-6 ATS) were on a 5-2 over run before going under in their final three games, capped by their 21-7 loss at Boise State in the Mountain West championship game Dec. 6.
“My guess is we’re going to be Cal fans when this game kicks off,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said.
Showdown at Shadow Creek
The PGA Tour’s Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are -150 favorites at the Westgate over LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka (+130) in an 18-hole made-for-TV event Tuesday at Shadow Creek.
Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge on Dec. 8 by six strokes after firing a final-round 63.
“We opened Scottie and Rory -150 and Bryson and Brooks +130. Took some plus price money, got as low as -135/+115,” SuperBook oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said. “Now we’re back to the opener of -150/+130 after Scottie’s dominating Hero win.”
Books take hit on Heisman
Bettors cashed in Saturday when Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy.
The cornerback/wide receiver opened at 100-1 at Caesars Sportsbook, which took a $25 wager on Hunter at those odds that paid $2,500 and a $10 bet that paid $1,000.
“Travis Hunter was a very popular selection throughout the offseason as the Colorado faithful believed he could be an impact player on both sides of the ball and Colorado would have a lot of success in the Big 12,” Caesars head of football Joey Feazel said. “Travis Hunter was a good result for the customers at Caesars Sportsbook.”
Hunter also was a good result for bettors at the Westgate and Station Sports.
“It was not a good outcome for us,” Esposito said. “Of the four guys left, he was clearly the worst case.”
Westgate vice president of race and sports John Murray said Hunter winning was also the worst result for the book. The other three Heisman finalists were Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Miami (Florida) quarterback Cam Ward and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
“We didn’t do well on the Heisman this year,” Murray said. “Hunter was a very trendy name because he’s a two-way player and people bought into that and they liked the long odds.”
Mahomes’ injury impacts line
The Chiefs were 3½-point favorites over the Texans on the lookahead line at the Westgate for Saturday’s game. But the book made Houston a 2½-point favorite when it reopened the line after quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Browns.
“We went with the assumption that he’s not playing,” Salmons said. “They’ve struggled to win games to begin with and now you throw (backup quarterback) Carson Wentz in there.”
Kansas City will have a quick turnaround after Saturday’s game, as it plays at Pittsburgh on Christmas Day.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
