Pac-12: Washington State Cougars at Cal Golden Bears
Cougs Looking for Two More Wins, Bears Thinking Next Year
The Washington State Cougars (4-5 /1-5) are two wins away from becoming bowl-eligible, but with the Washington Huskies still on the schedule, they must beat California (3-6 / 1-5) and Colorado. The Cougars have dropped five straight games after a 10-7 loss to Stanford last week as a 14-point favorite, while Cal has lost four straight after being duck-slapped by Oregon, 63-19, last week as a 26.5-point dog.
This number is one of the most intriguing college football betting lines this week. The game opened as a pick with the total sitting on 60. Kick-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN 2. We begin our Washington St vs California preview with a peek at the Cougars from a betting perspective.
Washington St vs California Preview 
Day/Time:
Location: California Memorial Stadium
Streaming: ESPN 2
They Started So Well But Then…
It’s hard to believe that the Washington State Cougars were once the nation’s 13th-ranked team after a 4-0 start. Two of those games were won as an underdog against Wisconsin (+5.5) 31-22 and Oregon State (+3), 38-35.
Then came UCLA who tamed the Cougars, 25-17, and it was downhill from there. Against the number, WSU covered three of their first five but has since failed to cover five of six. According to beat reporters, not much has changed during the streak. Head Coach Jake Dickert says he prefers consistency in his practices despite there being a sense that a cloud is hanging over the program.
After covering 16 of their last 22 games heading into the season, Washington State could be headed for their first losing season for bettors since 2020 in the Covid-shortened season.
If the public makes the Cougars a dog or favorite before kick-off, it doesn’t matter to most because WSU is 11-6 ATS as an underdog and 9-4 ATS as a favorite or the last few seasons. They have covered nine of their last 14 on the road. We continue our Washington St vs California preview by turning the spotlight to the Golden Bears.
Cal Not Competing In Any Conference Soon
That’s a long headline but it’s true. The Golden Bears have dropped four straight games to ranked opponents and didn’t look good doing it in three of the losses after getting shellacked by Oregon last week. Even Cal found a way to put up 49 on the USC defense but fell short by a point.
Of the four, that was the only game they managed to cover. That stretch has shown that there is much work to do before the Bears can rise to the top of the Pac-12 or the ACC NCAA football standings next year. The good news is, if the Bears find a way to win this week, their remaining NCAA football schedule shows games against Stanford and UCLA.
Not inconceivable they could win three straight, but not likely. We do expect Cal to play better on defense because their pride has to be hurt, especially when you consider their head coach, Justin Wilcox, is considered to be a defensive coach. With the Bears 3-5 ATS, they also must win and cover their remaining three to keep a two-season streak alive of finishing in the black for bettors. We conclude our Washington St vs California preview with our official selection.
Too Much Offense For Cal
We are well aware of what we just saw against Stanford, we’re also aware that most bets are cashed when we forget what just happened. This is a WSU team that averages 414.1 yards per game against a defense that allows just under 427.
The Cougars’ strength is through the air with the second passing attack in the country (336 per game). We’re not sure how one of the nation’s worst secondary’s is going to hold down an embarrassed Cougars offense. Take Washington State at Pick. That does it food our Washington St vs California preview, we wish you the best with your wagers this weekend.
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