The California Golden Bears (3-0, 0-0) will head to take on the Washington Huskies (2-1, 0-0) this week in a battle between two teams off to strong starts. The Pac-12’s leading passer, Jake Browning (844 yards, 5 TDs), and the third-leading passer, Jared Goff (898 yards, 9 TDs) will be featured in this game. It kicks off Saturday, Sep 26 at 5:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on the PACN.
In last week’s matchup, Washington defeated Utah State 31-17. Jake Browning had a huge game through the air in the victory, connecting on 22 of 31 pass attempts for 368 yards, three TDs and one interception. Darrell Daniels had 75 yards on four catches. California got a close victory over Texas 45-44 in its matchup. Khalfani Muhammad had a great game running the ball for the Golden Bears, dashing 10 times for 164 yards and one TD. Kenny Lawler had a great game as well, adding 79 yards and two TDs on six catches.
California is a small two-point favorite as they take on the Huskies. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 61 points.
While the Huskies are currently 2-1 Straight Up (SU), they’ve managed an Against The Spread (ATS) record of 3-0 so far this year. The Huskies average 3.5 yards each time they throw, 20th in the nation. Special teams is a weakness for California that the Huskies may use to their advantage. On average, the Golden Bears have allowed 129 return yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Golden Bears head into Week 4 with records of 2-1 ATS and 3-0 SU. They enter the week as the country’s seventh-best scoring offense, recording an average of 51.0 points per game on opposing defenses. Preparing for California’s scoring defense will give the Huskies headaches in the film room. So far this year, the Golden Bears defense has only allowed opponents to score an average of 21.7 points. The California defense will take advantage of every opportunity the Huskies give them. The Golden Bears generate three turnovers per game, fourth in the country. The Huskies will have to stay focused in the second quarter against California. The Golden Bears usually finish off the first half with dominance, averaging 16 points during the second quarter.
Predictions: SU Winner – Washington, ATS Winner – Washington, O/U – Under
Notes
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington’s last 7 games.
Washington is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington’s last 9 games at home.
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing California.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington’s last 5 games when playing California.
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against California.
Washington is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against California.
California is 3-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Washington is 2-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Since the start of last season, Washington is an even 1-1 SU against Pac-12 opponents, while California is just 1-2 SU against conference foes.
When analyzing just in-conference ranks, California has the edge in the passing game. Its passing attack (ranked second in the Pac-12) will face the fourth-ranked pass defense of Washington, while its second-ranked pass defense will look to limit the fourth-ranked passing game of the Huskies.
When looking into conference ranks, California seems to have the overall advantage in the running game. Its sixth-ranked rushing attack will face the 11th-ranked run defense of Washington, while its sixth-ranked run defense will look to contain the 11th-ranked rushing game of the Huskies.
