Huskies vs Golden Bears NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The Washington Huskies and the California Golden Bears are playing for pride at this point in the year, as neither team has played as well as they’d hoped they would when the season began nearly two and a half months ago.
Washington Huskies (4-4) vs California Golden Bears (3-6)
Friday November 2, 2012
Memorial Stadium, BERKELEY, CALIF.
9:00 PM ET
Moneyline: Washington +155, California -175 from GTBets.eu
Spread: California -4
O/U: 52.5
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That being said, the Huskies are coming off of a statement victory in week nine, and they are looking to carry that momentum forward as they enter the final stretch of the 2012 college football season.
Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies have looked both great and awful depending on when you’ve watched them this season. Last week was an example of them looking like they were supposed to when the year began, as they took down the seventh-ranked Oregon State Beavers in a closely fought contest.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about pride being one of the driving factors in their victory, as the team locked in on defense and forced OSU quarterback Sean Mannion to throw four interceptions.
Offensively, the team still hasn’t seen what they wanted to out of quarterback Keith Price, but Bishop Sankey continues to perform well in the team’s victories. He had 25 carries last week for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
The biggest thing going against the Huskies at this point is their deficiencies on the road. They are a much different team when they play in Seattle, and traveling down to Berkeley could be cause for concern. Washington has averaged just 13.7 points per game on the road compared to 24.8 at home, and they’ve given up 48.3 points on the road compared to 15.8 at home.
You have to consider the quality of opponent when looking at those kinds of stats, as the California Golden Bears are no LSU or Oregon, but their performances away from the confines of their home stadium are concerning at this point in the year.
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears are coming off their worst loss of the year, a 49-27 beat down against the then-2-5 Utah Utes. Cal quarterback Zach Maynard threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception and was sacked four times in the contest. Offensively, the Bears weren’t horrible, as they completed 97 more yards than the Utes, but the game was lost in turnovers and penalties.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
On the season, Cal is averaging just 25.8 points per contest. Washington is averaging fewer points, but the Golden Bears must keep the ball safe if they’re going to win on Saturday. Both teams need to protect their quarterback, and if California can do just that, they’ll be in much better shape against a Washington defense that allows just 201.2 yards through the air per contest.
The Bears are slight favorites coming into this contest, but the Huskies are the ones with the momentum heading into week 10. Washington’s struggles on the road have been well-documented, but they’ve yet to be the away team in a contest where the home squad is struggling even more than they are.
Price and Sankey need solid performances for UW to come out on top, but with Cal giving up 164.3 yards per game on the ground and 252.4 yards per game through the air, they’ll have their opportunity to take advantage come Saturday.
Trends
Huskies are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Friday games.
Huskies are 6-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Huskies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.
Under is 5-1 in Huskies last 6 games in November.
Under is 7-1 in Golden Bears last 8 home games.
Under is 5-1 in Golden Bears last 6 games on grass.
O/U Pick: Under 52.5
Score Prediction: Washington 24 – California 21
