Two teams that prefer running the football, Golden Bears of California (+10.5) are gearing up to welcome their in-conference nemesis No. 15 Washington Huskies (-10.5) to California Memorial Stadium. The game will get going at 6:30 p.m. ET and FS1 is in line to broadcast the action.
Betting Preview: California Golden Bears vs. Washington Huskies
In this Saturday Pac-12 game, Washington is projected as the heavy favorite and is currently giving up 10.5 points. The Huskies are also receiving -425 moneyline odds while the Golden Bears are +315. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 45 points, and there could be multiple good live betting opportunities while the game is underway.
The Huskies are 2-6 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 1.3 units so far in 2018. They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an Over-Under record of 1-7.
The Golden Bears have lost 2.1 units this season. The team is 2-4-1 ATS and has an O/U record of 1-5.
The Huskies are 6-2 straight up (SU), including 4-1 SU against conference opponents. The Golden Bears are 4-3 SU overall and 1-3 SU in conference play.
The Huskies are looking to keep things going after a solid 27-13 win over Colorado last week where Jake Browning completed 15-of-25 passes for only 150 yards, along with a TD and an interception. Sean McGrew (58 rushing yards on 12 attempts) and Kamari Pleasant (35 yards on 10 carries, one TD) mounted the running attack while Aaron Fuller (five receptions, 63 yards, one TD) and Ty Jones (four catches, 37 yards) manned the receiving duties in the win.
California just earned a lopsided 49-7 win over Oregon State. The Golden Bears let the Beavers tally 146 yards through the air and 95 more on the ground. Artavis Pierce was a bright spot in the loss for Oregon State, recording 44 rushing yards on 13 attempts, along with 72 yards on five catches. For California, Chase Garbers completed 17-of-26 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Patrick Laird (193 yards on 22 rush attempts, two TDs) and the signal-caller Garbers (54 yards on eight carries) led the running game as Vic Wharton III (five receptions, 80 yards) and Kanawai Noa (five catches, 73 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Washington has run the ball on 59.0 percent of its offensive plays this year, including 64.1 percent across possessions in conference play. California has a rush percentage of 53.6 percent, and has run the ball 51.5 percent of the time when playing Pac-12 opponents. The Huskies have run for 177.4 yards per game (including 187.0 per game against Pac-12 opponents) and have 16 scores on the ground this year. The Golden Bears are putting up 196.9 rushing yards per game (209.5 in conference) and have 11 total rush TDs.
The Huskies offensive scheme has averaged 253.1 yards in the air overall (203.0 per game against conference opposition) and has 12 passing TDs so far. The Golden Bears have put up 217.3 pass yards per outing (229 against Pac-12 foes) and have 11 total pass scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, Washington has allowed 134.4 rush yards and 174.3 pass yards per game. The California defense has allowed 166.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 154.4 yards per game on the ground. The Golden Bears are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.47 to opposing QBs, while the Huskies have allowed a 4.93 ANY/A.
Garbers has completed 66-of-101 passes for 727 yards, nine TDs and four INTs. Garbers’ adjusted net yards per pass attempt stands at 6.52 for the year and 10.81 across his past two outings. In the other huddle, Browning is up to 1,658 passing yards this season, and has connected on 126-of-191 attempts with 10 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. Browning’s got a 7.50 ANY/A, including 6.52 over the last two outings.
When these two programs met last year, Washington won soundly 38-7.
Washington Huskies at California Golden Bears Free Prediction
SU Winner: Washington, ATS Winner: Washington, O/U: Under
