Washington St. vs. California Total Pick
Is No. 8 Washington State going to be able to put up a big number on the road this Friday when the Cougars take on California at 10:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Washington State is favored on the road, as the Cougars are getting odds of -14 points against Cal. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 53.5 points. Cal has won eight of its last 10 meetings with Washington State and the two are 5-1-1 with the under in their last seven encounters. Friday’s game takes place from Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California. The contest airs live on ESPN.
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Cal has lost three straight coming into Friday’s game. The Golden Bears have fallen to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears are 4-2 with the under, hitting it in four of their last five games. Cal has struggled somewhat on defense, allowing 29.8 points and 436.5 yards per game. Offensively, the Bears are putting up just 24.3 points and 345.2 yards per contest. Ross Bowers has thrown for 1,437 yards and nine touchdowns, but also has eight interceptions. Patrick Laird has added 400 rushing yards with four touchdowns.
Washington State is off to a 6-0 start following a 33-10 win at Oregon last week. The Cougars are 3-0 in the Pac-12 with a 4-2 record with the under. The Cougars have hit the under in three straight as well. Washington State’s defense has actually been the story in 2017, as the Cougars are giving up just 18.5 points and 275.5 yards per game. Their pass defense is allowing only 146.3 yards per contest. On offense, WSU is averaging 39.7 points and 474.7 yards per game. Luke Falk has thrown for 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns with just two interceptions while Tavares Martin Jr. is the leading receiver with 34 catches for 464 yards and seven touchdowns.
Bet on Washington State vs. California
I expected Washington State to struggle on the road against Oregon last week, but the Cougars looked better than ever, especially on defense. This week they face a Cal team that has an offense that has been sputtering in Pac-12 play. The Cougars should be able to handle shutting this team down. From there, Washington State will have an offensive output that will allow it to win comfortably, but not hit the over.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: WASHINGTON STATE/CALIFORNIA UNDER 53.5