California Golden Bears vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 11/08/25

The California Golden Bears are fighting for bowl eligibility at this point in the season, while the Louisville Cardinals have their sights set on an ACC Championship appearance in Charlotte. The Cal offense isn’t spectacular, but it’s scored 21 points in 5 straight games and ranks 28th in points per quality drive. The Bears have been competitive in every conference game this season, and I don’t expect that to change – even with a large spread like this. Yes, Louisville is far and away the better team in all 3 phases, but the Bears offense has proven capable of finding ways to score against superior opponents. Not to mention, Cal’s defense has also had some big moments down the stretch.

California ranks 37th in defensive success rate and 30th in quality drive rate allowed. The run defense has been an issue, but Louisville has a pass-first scheme and ranks just 80th in net points per drive offensively. Louisville has yet to have a dominant, pull-away win in any of their conference matchups this season, so I’ll back California to keep this one respectable and cover the 20-point spread.

California vs Louisville prediction: California Golden Bears +20.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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