The California Golden Bears and Texas Tech Raiders will look to finish with a winning record when they clash in the 2023 Independence Bowl on Saturday. The Golden Bears (6-6), who are on a three-game winning streak, are looking to register their first winning season since 2019, when they went 8-5 with a victory in the Redbox Bowl. The Red Raiders (6-6), who have finished with a winning record in each of the past two seasons, have won five of their last eight games after starting the season 1-3.

The Red Raiders are 3.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 57 in the latest California vs. Texas Tech odds. Before locking in any picks of your own for California vs. Texas Tech, make sure you see what SportsLine college football expert Tom Fornelli has to say. 

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 has gone a strong 5-0 on picks involving California. Anyone who has followed him is WAY UP! 

Fornelli knows 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.

He also knows California 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.

Now, he has studied the California vs. Texas Tech matchup from top to bottom and revealed his top selections for Saturday's Independence Bowl matchup. 

We can tell you he's leaning toward the Under on the posted total and has identified a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any California vs. Texas Tech picks of your own.

What side of the Cal vs. Texas Tech spread should you jump on? ... Join SportsLine right now to see the California vs. Texas Tech best bets from the expert who has nailed five straight CFB picks involving the Golden Bears!