Tag Archives: California Golden Bears

Poinsettia Bowl Pick: Utah Utes vs California Golden Bears

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Poinsettia Bowl Pick Utah Utes vs California Golden Bears: I know this game is in California, which basically will turn this into a Cal home game, but I think the Utes have a real chance to make the Pac-10 look even worse than they already do after BYU came out and destroyed one of the better Pac-10 players, the Oregon State Beavers. The Utes have a very good team, and are obviously well coached. But it will be their toughness up front that ultimately gives them a chance to upset the Bears of Cal.

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Utah was 9-3 this season, but just 5-7 ATS. They were 3-8-1 O/U, riding their strong defense to low scoring games and 9 wins. They were 6-0 at home, just 3-3 on the road (as you probably figured). They allow 19 points per game and score just over 29. The Utes lost 2 of their last 3 games, but won 6 straight prior to a tough stretch against top competition. Some of their most impressive outings came in losses as the Utes lost by a field goal to BYU in overtime to finish the season, and earlier lost by a touchdown at Oregon.

California has definitely been up and down, and spent most of the season ranked despite their relatively disappointing play against top competition. After starting the season 3-0 and ranked in the Top 10, the Bears got crushed in back to back games against Oregon and USC, losing by a combined score of 72-6. Gross. But they won 5 of their next 6, including back to back wins over Arizona and Stanford, no easy feat by any means. However, they finished their season rocking a 10-42 loss to Washington, and I just can’t trust that kind of garbage.

I like to take small colleges against big-name schools, especially when they are the better football team. I believe that is the case here.

Utah Utes (+3.5) @ California Golden Bears

California Golden Bears vs Washington Huskies Free Pick

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California Golden Bears vs Washington Huskies Free Pick: Coming into the season, the Cal Bears boasted one of the best running backs in the nation, if not the best. But Jahvid Best had a scary injury, and hasn’t played in quite some times. The interesting part of that scenario is that the Bears rushing attack hasn’t really suffered. In fact, I think the offensive line is blocking better, and overall, the Bears are a more efficient offense now that they aren’t relying on their stud running back.

That spells trouble for the Huskies. I’ve been pretty much dead on with the Huskies this year, I know them well. I know who they should play well against, I know who they struggle against. I’ve said all along that if you can fully commit to running the ball against UW then you can win easily. I think the Golden Bears can and will do that.

Not only are they the better team, and pose a tough match-up for the Huskies defense, but the Bears are playing their best football of the season. After struggling mightily against good teams, the Bears have beaten Arizona and Stanford back to back. And they’ve had two weeks to prepare for the University of Washington. I know Husky stadium is loud but I don’t know how long it will be that way.

If you look at stats, you’ll see that the Bears do just about everything more effectively than the Huskies. Stats, the way I feel, the moon alignment – I have everything going for me here. I think the Bears win 38-21 in Seattle.

California Golden Bears (-6) @ Washington Huskies

California Golden Bears vs Stanford Cardinal NCAA Pick

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California Golden Bears @ Stanford Cardinal (-7) NCAA Pick: This come right down to me thinking Stanford is 2 touchdowns better than Cal on any given day. They pass the ball much better, run it better, are more physical, control the clock like it’s their job, and play a better brand of football with less room for error. Basically, Yahtzee! I feel like the Cardinal as a touchdown favorite is a glorious thing that everyone should get in on – so does 67% of the public, but so what, this one shouldn’t be too close.

Stanford hasn’t been favored in this in-state rivalry since 2001. That’s a long time ago folks, as scary as that sounds. Cal is 5-2-1 ATS over the last 8 meetings with Stanford, they’ve won 6 of the last 7 outright. Just for the sake of letting you know, the under has won in 6 of the last 7 match-ups.

Before last week’s win over Arizona, the Bears had been kicked around by each “good” team they’ve played. That means USC (30-3), Oregon (42-3), and Oregon State (31-14) in a game that wasn’t even that close. Their win over Arizona says something, definitely, they have a little fight in their pads, and that’s good for Bear fans. But this Stanford team is too good for any of that business to matter.

Unlike Arizona, the Cardinal should just bruise and batter the Bear defense just like USC, Oregon State, and Oregon did. 38-20 is my prediction.

Arizona Wildcats vs California Golden Bears Free Pick

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Arizona Wildcats (pk) @ California Golden Bears Free Pick: This game started where it should have been, Arizona favored at a Cal team that just isn’t nearly as good as the Cats – then it moved all the way to California being favored by 2 at home. Now this spread shouldn’t mean much in reality, I mean, 2 points, rarely do 2 points do anything at all – but it’s still ridiculous to me. I got them in the middle, at a pick-em. What has Cal shown against any worth-while team in the Nation, that makes them deserving of being favored against an Arizona team with just 1 Pac-10 loss? The answer, unquestionably, absolutely nothing.

The Bears have beaten college powerhouses like, Arizona State (by two), Washington State (doesn’t count), UCLA (worst record in the Pac 10), Minnesota (not even good in a bad Big 10), Eastern Washington (not even 1A), and Maryland (hiding in their shell all season long). Somehow, that got them ranked at some point. Then they were killed, take that back, embarrassed to the point of giving up against Oregon and USC. But then they had a stacked little schedule of mediocrity, and just like that they were ranked again. Then of course Oregon State made them look terrible again, because, well Oregon State is twice as good as Cal, and I’m guessing that’s the last time the Bears get ranked this season.

Then you have Arizona, beating Central Michigan (decent), losing by 10 to Iowa (9-1 on the season), beating Oregon State, beating Stanford, and running easily through UCLA and WSU of course. This Arizona team has beaten good teams, they’ve dominated bad teams, they are easily the better team here, but Cal has that name, and Arizona isn’t there yet.

Take full advantage, they may be 1-2 on the road, but Arizona is an easy pick here.

Oregon State Beavers vs California Golden Bears Pick

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Oregon State Beavers (+7) @ California Golden Bears Pick: This one is a little weird to me, because when you break down these two teams, I think it’s overwhelming that the best team between the two is Oregon State. I know the Beavers are on the road in this one, but they’ve played well away from Beaver-town this season, losing by a score to USC and beating up ASU outright. They’ve only lost to pretty good teams like USC, Cincinnati, and Arizona. They are impressive, and the Rodgers brothers are special, while running back Jacquizz gets most of the publicity, both are great college players. I’d say James is very underrated. Quizz had over 200 yards rushing and receiving last week, but James also tallied 120 yards of total offense against UCLA. The two are key players in the Beavers’ success.

Cal’s wins are unimpressive, that’s the bottom line. The best team they’ve beaten is either Arizona State or Minnesota – maybe UCLA? And they’ve been obliterated by good competition as Oregon and USC combined to smoke the Bears 72-6 in back to back weeks.

The Beavers have been playing their best football of the season over the last two weeks, winning 3 of their last 4 including a 10 point W over Stanford. Sean Canfield has been awesome as the team’s quarterback, already throwing for over 2000 yards with 11 touchdowns while completing 69% of his passes. His ability to stretch the field with his arm has opened up a lot for the Beavers rushing attack, the strongest aspect of their offense. The Beavers have beaten Cal 8 of the last 10 games, winning at Cal in each of the last 4 visits to California.

Washington State Cougars V California Golden Bears Pick

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Washington State Cougars @ California Golden Bears (-35) Free Pick: Before this line came out, I thought I’d be happy taking the home team Bears at anything less than -45. The Cougars are that bad. My fade the Cougars rules are back in effect, especially with Jahvid Best hosting one of the worst D1 schools in the country. Last season, Best went for 200 yards on 14 carries with 3 touchdowns in limited action. I don’t think WSU has the type of talent to stick with the Bears’ running game, and offensively I don’t see many points getting put on the board by the Cougars. Cal has won 4 straight since 2005, and believe me when I tell you, this one won’t be competitive. The question is, can they outscore the Cougs by 36? I like my chances. If the Bears can lay 45 on UCLA’s defense, WSU is in for a treat.

NCAA Free Picks: Week 6

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I hit a bit of a tough stretch last week, finishing under .500 and bringing my overall record down a bit. But after a tough week that saw me lose four more than I won, I’m back at the bit and ready to give it another try. I see a few (by few I mean a lot of) games I love this weekend, and yes, this week I will attempt to crack the fabled thursday egg. A bold player I will become… Here’s the seventeen big ones to follow.

Oregon State Beavers @ Utah Utes (-11): Free money! That’s right, even against an Oregon State team that maimed the Trojan beast of college football, these Utes will do work. I’m surprised it hasn’t gone to 10 yet, but it seems like it’s staying above a touchdown and a field goal. I think that’s to try and trick Beaver backers into betting on their team. It shouldn’t matter, though I would be happier with 10. The Utes are healthy where OSU is without a couple more defenders from a defensive secondary that would have struggled with Utah anyway. Take the Utes here!

Cincinnati Bearcats (-3) @ Marshall Thundering Herd: It’s tough to go with a college team starting a 3rd string quarterback that has completed 25% of his passes for a total of 2 yards, but that’s what I’m doing. I think the Bearcats are that much better than Marshall. This is no gimme game, and I’m sure it will be a special teams score that makes the difference, but Cinci has a the talent to compensate for their lost quarterbacks.

BYU Cougars (-29) @ Utah State Aggies: Cougars by 38 – that’s my best guess. Did I say guess? I didn’t mean it, I meant that’s my strong opinion based on facts and assumptions that border on the line of reality. Yes, I believe the UW game was flukey for the Cougs, and the rest of their contests have been the real BYU team. They are good and the Aggies are horrible. A 40+ point win would be easily gathered on Friday Night.

Boston College Eagles (-8) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack: The Eagles are three touchdowns better than the Wolfpack. This game seems too easy, so much so that I’m worried a little bit. Sure, the Wolfpack beat a very good East Carolina team, but that’s their fluke – the real NC State team showed up last week in a home loss to South Florida 10-41. Yeah, that’s right. The Eagles are nothing to write home about, but you don’t need to write home about a team that covers at NC State. Take BC to win another ACC match-up.

Akron Zips (-3.5) @ Kent State Golden Flashes: I like what the Zips bring to the table. They have a talented passing attack, just in case things get worrisome. They have a pretty solid group of kids that know how to play tough. There’s a lot I like about the Zips, enough to take them as a road favorite in a conference game.

Florida Gators (-24) @ Arkansas Razorbacks: These teams aren’t on the same level. After losing a huge game at home last week I doubt the Gators come out stiff in this one. They’ll be out to prove a point, and a good way to do that is by slapping the Razorbacks around; just ask the last two teams to play Arkansas – Texas did a 52-10 job while ‘Bama pushed in a mix tape that went something like 49-14. Florida doesn’t win by 40+, but they cover the spread, no doubt in my mind.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Baylor Bears (+27): If only because being #1 is a tough gig these days. Oklahoma hasn’t had a close one yet, but they aren’t super heroic here, they can have bad days, why not in their 5th contest of the year against an underrated Baylor Bear team with a little bit of speed and a freshman quarterback that can’t be scared? I’m not saying an upset is on the horizon, but I am saying a cover is not a stunner here.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+28) @ Virginia Tech Hokies: This is a real test, but after much deliberation I still can’t even fathom the Hokies as a -28 favorite against anybody in the nation, not even a Hilltopper team that has a 38 point loss to Kentucky and a 34 point loss to Alabama to be credited for. This should be closer than that, maybe 24-0 at the most. Smells like teen cover.

Arizona State Sun Devils (+9.5) @ California Golden Bears: Because this game will be closer. I don’t know a winner, but some late minute trickery will have to happen for either team to win this by more than a touchdown. Here are two teams that make a living playing it close and Cal isn’t good enough to be a runaway favorite like this – not against a well coached Sun Devil team, that’s for sure.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (-7) @ Kansas State Wildcats: Don’t be fooled by K-State’s 3-1 record thus far, North Texas and Montana State don’t count, they lost to Louisville, and beat ULLaffayette by 10. Needless to say I like the Raiders, even though the public is riding this like a used up quarter pony at Walmart. Ride it!

Kentucky Wildcats (+17) @ Alabama Crimson Tide: That’s too high of a spread. I know Kentucky doesn’t have the big names yet, nor do they hold the big ranking, and surely they would be the upset of the week if they were to win at all might Alabama – but it could happen. I think this game is closer than many think – I know 63% of the public is going Yhatzee on the Tide here, that’s too big a spread for Alabama to have any value whatsoever.

Illinois Fighting Illini (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines: You know why? Because one of these weeks the Wolverines are going to get obliterated by all those stupid mistakes and Illinois is too physical and good to allow Michgan back in a game in which the Wolverines are getting handled. Juice will have a huge game, showing the Wolverines what kind of QB they need to be legit.

Nevada Wolfpack (-24) @ Idaho Vandals: Because that’s how bad Idaho is.

UL Lafayette (-2) @ UL Monroe: This line is a joke – Lafayette will kill Monroe.

Washington Huskies @ Arizona Wildcats (-21): The Huskies lost their one man offense when Jake Locker went down for the season. Did coach Tyrone’s job go with Jake? We’ll see. I don’t think Jake would have made much of a mark on this game, as Arizona is the much better team. However, I feel a lot more comfortable taking the Wildcats as a three touchdown favorite at home without Locker to worry me.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-1) @ Wisconsin Badgers: Weird, two overrated Big 10 schools – where did that idea ever come from? Still, the Buckeyes are the lesser of the overrated programs, or the greater – well their less overrated and greater talent wise. What do I mean? Buckeyes by 10 on the road, that’s what I mean.

Washington State Cougars @ UCLA Bruins (-17): Because UCLA is lucky Washington State is in the Pac 10. If you can’t feel good about UCLA against Washington State at any spread under 30, then you just can’t feel good about betting at all.