Miami vs California prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 6
10/03/2024 09:27 AM
It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Miami-California prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Miami California.
The Miami Hurricanes and California Golden Bears are part of the ESPN College GameDay traveling carnival this week. GameDay visiting Berkeley is something few, if anyone, could have expected or imagined before this season. Yet, the Week 6 slate in college football is relatively light, with only one matchup of two top-25 teams on the calendar (Missouri versus Texas A&M). Going to Cal gave GameDay a chance to do something new. It also gave ESPN a chance to throw a bone to the ACC, in the midst of that conference’s existential crisis relating to its contract with ESPN and deep concerns about a lack of revenue compared to the SEC and Big Ten. This move also highlights the presence of Cal in the new-look ACC, which also includes Stanford and SMU. Everyone is getting used to the new world of college sports realignment and its many profound changes of the national college sports map. Miami going to Berkeley is a wild pairing of college football teams as conference neighbors.
This game is being met with all sorts of colorful nicknames. You might remember, especially if you are an older college football fan (45 years or older), the 1988 showdown between Miami and Notre Dame, a battle of top-five teams which helped decide that year’s national champion. That game was called “Catholics Versus Convicts.” This Cal-Miami game has already been referred to by some as Communists Versus Convicts. Others have called this game “Woke Versus Coke.” People are having a lot of fun with the weird culture clash in this game, but once the ball is teed up for kickoff in Berkeley on Saturday night, the focus will be on football and how Miami — which barely survived Virginia Tech last week — can stay unbeaten in the ACC and remain on course to play for a conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Here are the Miami-California College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Miami-California Odds
Miami: -10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -410
California: +10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +315
Over: 54.5 (-108)
Under: 54.5 (-112)
How to Watch Miami vs California
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN, ESPN Plus
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Miami Could Cover The Spread/Win
So many college football programs wish they had the quarterback Miami has. Cam Ward has been sensational for Miami. He has made so many acrobatic and athletic plays to rescue Miami in difficult situations, none more so than his huge scramble and throw late in the Virginia Tech game to lead The U to a go-ahead touchdown. Ward should definitely be in the Heisman Trophy conversation. He is the kind of player who decides games simply because he plays for one team and doesn’t play for the other. Miami’s best argument for covering the spread is “We have Cam Ward and you don’t.”
Why California Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Cal defense is legitimately good. It allowed just 14 points on the road at Auburn and at Florida State. Cal didn’t win both games, but you get the point: Cal coach Justin Wilcox has his defense functioning at a high level. Forcing two turnovers from Miami’s offense should be enough to make this game a close, ugly slog in which the Golden Bears wind up covering the double-digit spread.
Final Miami-California Prediction & Pick
Miami is a much better team, but this long ACC road trip to the San Francisco Bay Area for a Saturday night game on the West Coast could get weird. Stay away from a pregame bet. Wait for a live-play angle.
Final Miami-California Prediction & Pick: California +10.5
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