Cal v. North Texas College Football Betting Odds and Lines: Vegas Oddsmakers Pick the Bears

California is a one-touchdown favorite against North Texas

Denton, Texas, near Dallas, is home to the University of North Texas Mean Green.

Las Vegas oddsmakers and bettors expect the California Golden Bears to roll to a victory to begin the 2023 college football season.

The California Golden Bears face off against the North Texas Mean Green on Saturday, Sept. 2, in Denton, Texas, north of Dallas. The Bears last faced the Mean Green on Sept. 14, 2019, winning that contest 23-17 in Strawberry Canyon.

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Cal v. North Texas college football betting odds and lines: Who is favored to win?

The Cal v. North Texas college football betting odds opened at California -6.5 on Sunday, Aug. 27, according to sports odds collected by VegasInsider.com.

The latest college football betting odds for California v. North Texas, as of Tuesday morning, are between California -7 and California -6.5, which implies the California Golden Bears will win by about seven points against the North Texas Mean Green on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Most U.S. sportsbooks have “over-or-under” totals at either 55.5 or 56.5 points, according to VegasInsider.com, which is largely unchanged from when the sports betting line opened at 55.5 points this past Sunday. An “over” bet would pay out if the combined final score of Cal v. North Texas is 56 points or more, while an ”under” bet is considered a win if the combined point total is 55 or fewer.

The opening “moneyline” bet for California v. North Texas was set at California -280 and North Texas +225. A moneyline bet pays bettors based on the game’s result, regardless of the margin of victory. The opening moneyline bet would have required bettors to wager $280 on California to win to earn a $100 profit. Alternatively, a $100 bet on North Texas would return a $225 profit if Cal loses.

The latest moneyline for California v. North Texas, as of Tuesday morning, is between California -305 and California -275 and North Texas +220 and North Texas +245. In other words, moneyline bets placed at the most favorable odds would require a $275 bet on California to win to create a $100 profit. Alternatively, a $100 bet on North Texas would return a $245 profit if Cal loses.

Cal v. North Texas college football: What you should know

California head coach Justin Wilcox has a stellar record in season openers. Since his debut as the Golden Bears’ head coach in 2017, Wilcox is 4-1 in the first game of the season, excluding the canceled non-conference schedule in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wilcox is 12-3 in non-conference games since joining the Golden Bears as head coach, including a perfect 3-0 start in his first three seasons at California. His only defeats have been against the Nevada Wolfpack (17-22) and the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs (32-34) in 2021 and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-24) in 2022.

California beat North Texas 23-17 at home on Sept. 14, 2019, which resulted in a loss against the California -14 spread. The final 50-point total was “under” the 50.5 over-or-under total.

Sports bettors heavily favor North Texas against Cal.

Analysis from VegasInsider.com shows 87% of all bets are on the point spread, and 76% of all moneyline bets are on North Texas. The sports-betting site reports that 70% of total-points bettors in U.S. sportsbooks wagered the “over” on a 55.5-point total.

Both teams will debut new quarterbacks. Sam Jackson V, a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Texas Christian University, begins his first season as a Golden Bear as the starting quarterback after winning a three-way contest during training camp.

Mean Green starting quarterback Stone Earle was a backup quarterback for North Texas last season. In four games played, he passed the ball no more than four times.