The California Golden Bears and the Washington Huskies used to be relative equals. Now they live in very different worlds. One interesting twist is part of this game. Which team will benefit more as a result? The Huskies are the clear-cut favorite in this one and it’s easy to see why. They were in the College Football Playoff last year and have continued their dominance in 2017. As for the California Golden Bears, they looked impressive in their season-opening win at North Carolina and then beat Ole Miss two weeks later, but those wins are looking worse and worse by the day. North Carolina and Ole Miss aren’t very good. And while the Golden Bears fought valiantly against USC, they still lost by double digits.
Cal is coming into this game on a low-point as they were drubbed last week by Oregon. Can they get their season back on track or are they looking at their third straight double digit defeat?
Details
Odds: Huskies -27
Date & Time: Saturday, October 7, 10:45 PM ET
Location: Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA
Broadcast: ESPN
Reasons To Bet On The California Golden Bears
The Golden Bears can’t reasonably expect to win this game, but they certainly can cover the spread. That starts with the point that head coach Justin Wilcox worked for several years under Washington coach Chris Petersen when the two men were at Boise State. Wilcox learned a lot of football under Petersen’s guidance. He knows what Petersen tries to do and how he tries to do it. That level of familiarity with Petersen can give California an important edge in this game. Wilcox used to work as the defensive coordinator at Washington, and his successor as Boise State’s defensive coordinator, Pete Kwiatkowski, is Washington’s current defensive coordinator. This is a tightly-knit circle of coaches on both sides of this game. They have all spent a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest and have a feel for what they are going up against. It will probably help an underdog to know what the favorite wants to do.
The other thing to note in this game is that Washington has started slowly on offense a few times this season, actually a majority of its five games. Washington led Rutgers 10-7 at halftime. It also led Colorado 10-7 at halftime. It led Oregon State 7-0 at halftime. The offense has had trouble coming out of the gate and immediately getting into a rhythm. If that happens again on Saturday, Cal has a good chance of covering the number. The Golden Bears struggled with Oregon’s spread concepts, but they handled USC’s more traditional offense. Washington runs a traditional offense. A close game at halftime could be something Washington will struggle to break open in the second half. Cal might not win, but it will stay close.
Reasons To Bet On The Washington Huskies
The Huskies’ slow starts are a genuine concern, but to this point in the season, they have happened only in road games. At home, Washington has started strongly and not looked back. The Huskies do not have a problem playing complete games at home. Moreover, since they were on the road each of the past two weeks, they will relish this home game and not suffer a letdown which represents California’s best chance for victory (or at least a close game).
The more specific reason to trust Washington here is that the Huskies are powerful up front. They are able to use very simple plays to establish the running game with tailback Myles Gaskin. They bludgeon opponents into submission and do not need to use trick plays unless or until they are challenged. California might know what plays are coming, but Washington has better and stronger athletes at virtually every position, which matters a lot more than tactics.
Outlook
The Huskies will win comfortably, but their offense has a hit-and-miss quality. It is true that Washington’s offensive limitations have emerged on the road this year, but the Huskies’ two home games were cupcakes, not against decent opponents such as Cal. The game won’t go down to the wire, but the point-spread drama very easily could. Washington will win by 24, meaning Cal will barely cover. It’s a lot of points, so take the Golden Bears on the spread.
Prediction: Golden Bears +27
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