Texas Tech vs. California odds, line, spread: 2023 Independence Bowl picks, predictions by proven expert - CBS Sports

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Teams entering bowl season on a bit of a roll meet when the California Golden Bears battle the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday at the 2023 Independence Bowl. The Bears (6-6), who tied for seventh with UCLA at 4-5 in the Pac-12, have won three in a row, including a 33-7 win at UCLA on Nov. 25. The Red Raiders (6-6), who tied for seventh with Kansas in the Big 12 a 5-4, have won three of their last four games. They are coming off a disappointing 57-7 regular-season ending loss at Texas on Nov. 24.

Kickoff from Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La., is set for 9:15 p.m. ET. The Red Raiders lead the all-time series 1-0, defeating the Bears 45-31 in the 2004 Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Texas Tech is a 3-point favorite in the latest California vs. Texas Tech odds from SportsLine consensus odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 56.5. Before making any Texas Tech vs. California picks, check out the college football predictions and betting advice from Tom Fornelli.

A CBS Sports writer since 2010, the entertaining Fornelli is perhaps best known for his college football expertise. He co-hosts the popular Cover 3 Podcast and appears regularly on CBS Sports HQ. You'll get maximum access to Fornelli's picks only on SportsLine. What's more, he has demonstrated a particularly sharp eye for the Cal Bears. In fact, Fornelli is on a 5-0 roll on college football picks involving California. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, he has set his sights on Texas Tech vs. Cal and locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and betting lines for Cal vs. Texas Tech:

California vs. Texas Tech spread: Texas Tech -3
California vs. Texas Tech over/under: 56.5 points
California vs. Texas Tech money line: California +131, Texas Tech -156
CAL: The Bears have won three straight games (+4.80 units on ML)
TT: The Red Raiders have hit the game total under in 8 of their last 13 games (+2.50 units)
California vs. Texas Tech picks: See picks at SportsLine
California vs. Texas Tech live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why Texas Tech can cover

Sophomore quarterback Behren Morton powers the Texas Tech offense. He is in his third season with the team and finished the regular season by completing 155 of 250 passes (62%) for 1,498 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has rushed for four scores. In a 24-23 win over Central Florida on Nov. 18, he completed 21 of 34 passes (61.8%) for 256 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

Senior running back Tahj Brooks has been a workhorse on offense. He has carried 268 times for 1,443 yards (5.4 average) and nine touchdowns. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in eight games, including a season-high 182 yards on 24 carries (7.6 average) and one touchdown in the win over Central Florida. He carried 31 times for 170 yards (5.5 average) and one score in a 39-14 win at Baylor on Oct. 7. See which team to pick here.

Why California can cover

Freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza is off to a solid start to his collegiate career. He finished the season by completing 131 of 210 passes (62.4%) for 1,447 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also has rushed for a pair of scores. Mendoza completed 24 of 36 passes (66.7%) for 294 yards and three touchdowns with one pick in a 27-15 win at Stanford on Nov. 18. He threw for two or more scores in six of the eight games he has played in.

Also helping power the offense is sophomore running back Jaydn Ott. After rushing for 897 yards and eight scores his freshman year, he followed that up by carrying 229 times for 1,260 yards (5.5 average) and 11 touchdowns. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in five games, including a season-high 188 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries (9.4 average) in a 58-21 win at North Texas on Sept. 2. In the win at Stanford, he rushed 36 times for 166 yards (4.6 average) and one TD. See which team to pick here.

How to make California vs. Texas Tech picks

Fornelli is leaning Under on the total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who wins Texas Tech vs. Cal, and which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cal vs. Texas Tech spread to jump on, all from the analyst on a 5-0 Cal run, and find out.

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