The North Texas Mean Green and California Golden Bears will go head-to-head on the turf of California Memorial Stadium. Pac-12 Networks is scheduled to have the TV rights and this crucial afternoon game kicks off at 4:15 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: North Texas Mean Green vs. California Golden Bears
In this Saturday game, California has been projected as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 14 points. The Mean Green are also receiving +500 moneyline odds while the Golden Bears are -735. If one team can create a bunch of points early it’ll result in a reasonable live betting opportunity. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 55 points.
The Mean Green have lost 1.0 unit so far in 2019 and are 0-2 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 2-0.
The surprising Golden Bears are up 4.8 units this season. The team is 1-1 ATS and has an O/U record of 0-2.
The Mean Green are 1-1 straight up (SU) in 2019 while the Golden Bears are 2-0 SU.
The Mean Green are reeling from a 49-27 defeat to SMU last weekTheir defense allowed the Mustangs to eat up the clock by rushing for 211 yards on 39 attempts, including four rush TDs. Xavier Jones posted a productive day for the Mustangs in that one with 127 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 16 attempts. On the offensive side of the ball, the Mean Green completed 22-of-38 passes for 185 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Mason Fine went 17-for-32 for 152 yards, one touchdown and one interception while Jason Bean completed five-of-six for 33 yards and one touchdown. Tre Siggers (164 rushing yards on 18 attempts, one TD) led the ground attack. Jaelon Darden (six receptions, 59 yards, one TD) and Michael Lawrence (five catches, 44 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties in the defeat.
California is coming off of a 20-19 win over Washington. The team’s defense let the Huskies rush for 186 yards on 46 attempts, along with one rushing TD. Salvon Ahmed had a good showing in the defeat, posting 119 rushing yards and a score on 21 attempts for Washington. For California, Chase Garbers completed 11-of-18 passes for 111 yards. Christopher Brown Jr. (80 rushing yards on 16 attempts) and the signal-caller Garbers (42 yards on 13 carries) led the running game while Brown Jr. (four receptions, 30 yards) and Kekoa Crawford (three catches, 48 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
North Texas has run the ball on 50 percent of its offensive possessions this year while California has an overall rush percentage of 65.9 percent. The Mean Green have rushed for 201.5 yards/game and have two scores on the ground this year. The Golden Bears are averaging 212.5 rushing yards per game and have three total rush TDs.
If 2019 numbers are any indication, then the Golden Bears could hold an advantage when it comes to quarterback protection. Their offensive line has yielded just three sacks while the D-line has registered six sacks. The Mean Green offensive line has given up six sacks and their defense has logged only three sacks.
The Mean Green offense has logged 284 yards/game through the air overall and has six passing TDs so far. The Golden Bears have put up 174.5 pass yards per game and have two total pass scores.
Defensively, North Texas has allowed 197 rush yards and 282.5 pass yards per game. The California D has allowed 171.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 134.5 yards per game to opposing runners. The Golden Bears are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.66 to opposing QBs, while the Mean Green have allowed an ugly 8.97 ANY/A.
Garbers has connected on 11-of-18 passes for 111 yards, zero TDs and zero INTs. Garbers’ adjusted net yards per pass attempt stands at 4.52 for the season and 6.69 over his past two games. In the other huddle, Fine is up to 152 passing yards on the year. He’s completed 17-of-32 attempts with one passing touchdowns and one interception. Fine’s got a 2.32 ANY/A for the year, although that number sits at 6.69 over the last two games.
North Texas Mean Green vs. California Golden Bears Free Pick
SU Winner: California, ATS Winner: California, O/U: Over
Betting Notes
- The California defensive unit has notched twice as many sacks as North Texas this year (six to three).
- The California offense has lost three fumbles this season while the North Texas offense has not lost any.
- The Mean Green offense has created two pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Golden Bears have accounted for zero such plays.
- The North Texas defense has allowed two pass plays of 40+ yards, while California has given up zero such plays.
- Both teams have produced five rushing plays of 20 or more yards. The North Texas offense has recorded 13 running plays of 10+ yards while California has accounted for 17 such plays.
- The Mean Green defense has allowed five rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Golden Bears have given up one such run.
