Golden Bears vs Cougars NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The California Golden Bears and the Washington State Cougars are having underwhelming seasons, but the team from Berkeley, Calif. is the one coming off a big victory. The Golden Bears took down the No. 25 UCLA Bruins 43-17, while the Cougars failed to keep up with the Beavers in Corvallis, Ore.
California Golden Bears (2-4) vs Washington State (2-4)
Saturday October 13, 2012
Martin Stadium, PULLMAN, WA
7:00 PM ET
Moneyline: California -280, Washington State +240 from Sportsbook.ag
Spread: California -7.5
O/U: 54.5
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The Cougars are in the midst of a rebuild under new head coach Mike Leach, while the Golden Bears are in danger of losing theirs if their season doesn’t turn around.
California Golden Bears
Head coach Jeff Tedford is officially on the hot seat, but his team’s performance last week will put those thoughts to rest if he can continue to carry the momentum forward.
Quarterback Zach Maynard completed 25 of 30 passes last week as he went for 295 yards and four touchdowns. His success was created by more than just numbers, though. Maynard saw blitzes before they happened, made adjustments on the fly and was a great overall leader. That kind of performance is what it’s going to take to win week after week.
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The biggest variable here is whether or not Cal can protect their quarterback. They’ve given up 28 sacks on the year, and if Keenan Allen doesn’t play the same way he has the past two weeks, it could be a long night for Maynard.
While Washington State isn’t a big scoring offense, their air attack makes them a threat to keep up with. Cal only averages 28 points per game, but luckily for them, that should be enough if their defense keeps Washington State in check.
Washington State Cougars
The air raid in Pullman can be fun to watch when it’s clicking, but the team has had trouble making it work, as evident by their 2-4 record. With a defense that is allowing 30.3 points per game (93rd in the nation), they must produce more points in order to keep up. They average just 21.8 points per contest (100th in the nation), making you wonder how well they’re truly utilizing their pass-first attack.
Marquess Wilson is going to need a big performance this weekend to keep up with the passing attack of Cal. The junior is fifth in the Pac-12 in receiving yards, and if he is on his game, it will make Washington State’s passing attack much more of a threat. Disrupting California’s quarterback is going to be just as important as simply “keeping up” with it, so Travis Long is going to need to do what he does best. The senior has 6.5 sacks on the season and he will be going up this weekend against the team that his given up the most sacks in all of college football. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Head coach Mike Leach pulled an interesting tactic this week in his first season on board. He was quoted saying that if his team were “a more mature, mentally tougher team,” that they could have taken advantage of opportunities. A statement like this from a first-time head coach is going to either motivate his crew to come out hungry, or make his crew shut down. For fans of Washington State, let’s hope they take it to heart in the right way.
Each of these two teams need to finish the season winning four of their last six games in order to become bowl eligible, and that run must start with a win this weekend. Both programs look bad on paper, but with the momentum from last weekend, California seems like the safer pick.
Trends
Under is 4-0 in Golden Bears last 4 games following a SU win of more than 20 points
Under is 5-0 in Golden Bears last 5 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
Under is 6-1 in Golden Bears last 7 games vs. a team with a losing record.
Under is 5-1 in Golden Bears last 6 games in October.
O/U Pick: Under 54.5
Score Prediction: California 30 – Washington St. 20
