Redlands picked to beat higher-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at home

Versus is backing the team with the worse divisional standing in this one. Redlands sits 146th among Division III teams while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps ranks 84th, yet the model gives the Bulldogs a 67 percent chance to win at home and projects a 30-22 final.

The gap narrows once other factors come into play. Redlands actually holds the better power rank, 105th to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' 117th, and carries a B- offensive grade against the Stags' C+. The Bulldogs have outscored their last five opponents by an average of 18 points, a run that included a 69-14 win over Whittier, their most lopsided margin since November 2021.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps still owns the better overall record at 5-2 and a B grade, but the Stags arrive off a 28-49 loss to Chapman that snapped a four-game winning streak. Redlands leads the all-time series 13-9, though Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has taken seven of the last ten meetings, and Redlands has not scored more than 22 points against the Stags since October 2019. The projected 30 points would break that stretch. This one counts in the Southern California Conference standings for both sides.