For the first time, ESPN’s College GameDay will descend upon the University of California as the unranked Golden Bears (3-1) host the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes (5-0) in their ACC home debut.
The Hurricanes survived a scare on Friday night against Virginia Tech, winning 38-34 after a lengthy review of a last-second Hokies Hail Mary was determined to be incomplete. On Saturday, the Golden Bears dropped their conference opener 14-9 at Florida State.
As we get set for Saturday night’s ACC contest, let’s examine the latest betting odds before diving into my Miami vs Cal prediction and best bets.
Miami vs Cal Odds
College football odds are current as of Monday, Sept. 30, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Miami (-455) vs Cal (+350)
- Spread: Miami -11 (-112) vs Cal +11 (-108)
- Over/Under: Over 54.5 (-112) / Under 54.5 (-108)
Miami vs Cal Prediction
Miami 38, Cal 20
While the atmosphere for ESPN’s first trip to Berkeley should be fantastic, these two programs aren’t in the same stratosphere.
Cal is coming off a loss to an FSU team that was the laughingstock of college football over the season’s first month, and its impressive early-season win at Auburn looks much less impressive following the Tigers’ subsequent defeats to Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Miami won its first four games by at least 20 points before eking out a win over Virginia Tech last week. Among those impressive results were a 41-17 thrashing of Florida and a 50-15 victory over a USF team that played Alabama close for three quarters.
Transfer quarterback Cam Ward (1,782 passing yards and 20 total touchdowns) spearheads the ACC’s top offense, which has averaged 585.6 yards and 49.4 points per game. And while Cal’s defense has put up impressive numbers, leading the ACC in points allowed per game (12.8), this test will be its biggest thus far.
Expect the Canes to look more like themselves in a double-digit victory out west.
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Miami vs Cal Best Bets
Miami -11 (-112)
This matchup feels like a significant mismatch. The Canes have more talent across the board and should be on high alert after last week’s scare.
Mario Cristobal’s squad will impose its will early and get a resume-building win on national TV. Back Miami to cover the spread as one of your best college football bets today.
Over 54.5 Points (-112)
Since I don’t trust Cal’s defense to produce many stops, I’m taking the Over.
If Miami’s offense has the success I expect, we shouldn’t need much help from Fernando Mendoza and the Golden Bears to clear this bar.
