The California Golden Bears (14-7) try to bring a five-game road losing streak to a close when they meet the Colorado Buffaloes (16-5) at Coors Events Center. Action begins at 5:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 31 and can be seen on FS1.
The Buffaloes enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Stanford 91-75 on Wednesday. George King was the team’s leading scorer with 23 points on 8-for-9 shooting. The Golden Bears, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 73-64 loss against Utah on Wednesday. Jaylen Brown led the game in scoring with 27 points.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Golden Bears winning the first matchup 79-65. Brown put up 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Colorado is a three-point favorite against California and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 143 points. The Buffaloes have gone 16-5 Straight Up (SU) and 12-6 Against The Spread (ATS). The Buffaloes have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 72.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 79.3 points per game. The Buffaloes are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .409 from beyond the arc. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Colorado in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.0 offensive boards per game.
In the other locker room, the Golden Bears have 14-7 SU and 10-11 ATS records. The Golden Bears convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 49th in the country at .469. The California defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .388 shooting from the field to its opponents. Blocking shots is an area where California has excelled. The Golden Bears average 5.2 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
With the Golden Bears’ last win against Colorado, they evened up the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 5-5 SU. With a 7-3 record, the Buffaloes have the advantage ATS. California held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Colorado never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Colo, ATS Winner – Cal, O/U – Over
Notes
Colorado is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Colorado is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado’s last 5 games when playing California.
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing California.
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against California.
The Colorado Buffaloes average 79.3 points per game, ranking 51st in the nation. The California Golden Bears rank 67th in points allowed with 66.8.
The Colorado Buffaloes rank 60th for their offensive rating of 112.1. The California Golden Bears have a defensive rating of 98.9 (ranked 96th).
The Colorado Buffaloes average 70.8 possessions and 1.121 points per possession in games this season. The California Golden Bears average fewer possessions with 67.6, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.108.
The Colorado Buffaloes average an effective field goal percentage of 51.4% this season. The California Golden Bears have a losing record of 1-2 when opponents have an eFG% of 51.4% or greater.
The Colorado Buffaloes average 19.0 three point attempts per game, and the California Golden Bears attempt 19.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Colorado is 7-3 and California is 9-1.
Colorado, the 25th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.3 per game. California ranks 30th with 5.2.
Colorado ranks 48th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, California ranks 39th.
The California Golden Bears make an average of 4.0 steals per game. When the Colorado Buffaloes give up 4 or more steals, they are a dazzling 15-3.
