Another in-state and conference rivalry NCAAF game will be played in Week 13 on Friday, November 25, and here you can check out the best Bruins vs. Golden Bears betting pick and odds.

UCLA is hoping to avoid the third consecutive defeat when they take on California at California Memorial Stadium. The Bruins are 10-point favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at 60.5 points. These Pac-12 foes have met once in 2021, and the Bruins won 42-14 at home.

Bruins fell short of USC at home

The UCLA Bruins (8-3-0, 6-5-0 ATS) lost the second game in a row for the first time this season, and just like the previous one against Arizona, this one to the USC Trojans was also a one-possession defeat. This time around, the Bruins fell short 48-45 at home, and although they were excellent on offense, they did commit four turnovers and forced just one on the other end as they allowed a season-high 48 points.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 23 of 38 passes for 309 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also scored a couple of rushing touchdowns and had 81 yards on 14 attempts. Zach Charbonnet led the team with 95 rushing yards on 19 carries. Michael Ezeike had a good display as he caught three of four passes for touchdowns, while Jake Bobo and Kazmeir Allen combined for 148 yards and a TD on nine receptions. On defense, Stephan Blaylock recorded a game-high 11 tackles.

Golden Bears finally snapped a losing streak

The California Golden Bears (4-7-0, 6-5-0 ATS) were on a six-game losing skid but managed to snap it with a 27-20 home victory over the Stanford Cardinal, the worst team of the Pac-12. Despite a victory, California wasn’t even a better side in that game as Stanford had a slight edge when it comes to total yards, first downs, and possession.

Jack Plummer completed 23 of 43 passes for 280 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Jeremiah Hunter was solid in the air as he led all the receivers with 103 yards on five catches; J. Michael Sturdivant and Jaydn Ott combined for 121 yards on eight receptions, while Monroe Young scored the only receiving TD for the Golden Bears. Jaydn Ott was active on the ground as he finished with 97 rushing yards and a score on 18 carries. Oluwafemi Oladejo and Daniel Scott were dominant on defense with 21 combined tackles.

Trends:

UCLA:

  • 8-3 ATS in the last 11 conference games
  • 8-2 ATS in the last ten road games
  • 11-1 ATS in the last 12 vs. a team with a losing record

California:

  • 1-6 ATS in the last seven games following an ATS win
  • 1-4 ATS in the last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record

UCLA Bruins vs. California Golden Bears Pick  

UCLA is a traditionally better rival in this H2H matchup, and I have no doubt the Bruins will get a win on Friday. Although the Golden Bears snapped their six-game losing skid, they weren’t even better than Stanford, and I can’t imagine how on earth they will manage to beat UCLA. California’s defense is perhaps slightly better than UCLA’s, but the Bruins have the fifth-best offense in college football that is averaging 40.0 points, and I would be surprised if the Golden Bears keep the visitors below 40 in this one.

Pick: Take the Bruins at -8.5 (-125)

The Total

California doesn’t care much about running, so the hosts will focus on pass offense, in which they are among the top 40 teams in the country. UCLA has one of the weakest defenses against the pass, which could lead to multiple passing touchdowns from the hosts. On the other hand, the Bruins are lethal on each end of the field, and they will also try to exploit California’s weak pass defense, which is even worse than theirs. UCLA likes to run with the ball a lot, and I expect the visitors to score multiple TD on both the ground and through the air. Over is 7-2 in the Bruins’ last nine games overall, while Over is 5-0 in UCLA’s previous five road games.

Pick: Go Over 58.5 points (-130)