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California vs. Stanford Prediction and Odds (Golden Bears Getting No Love from Oddsmakers)

By Matt De Saro

The California Golden Bears have had one of the most brutal schedules over the last month but get a chance to win tonight vs. Stanford.
The California Golden Bears have had one of the most brutal schedules over the last month but get a chance to win tonight vs. Stanford. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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The Cal Golden Bears are in a bad way right now having lost their last seven games in a row.

They hope to turn things around when they travel to Stanford to take on the Cardinal this evening.

The Golden Bears are on the final leg of a three-game road trip, making their chances of breaking their current streak all that much harder. Stanford, meanwhile, is coming off a loss to UCLA on Saturday that snapped a two-game winning streak for the Cardinal. 

It has been a tough road for both teams this season. Each of which was expected to contend for the conference but are struggling just to stay afloat. This is especially true for the Golden Bears who are just 2-8 against Pac-12 opponents so far this year. That leaves them in 10th place in the conference. While it is too late for Cal, the Cardinal are 5-4 in conference play heading into Tuesday night. 

Here are the odds for this Pac-12 matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

California vs. Stanford Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • California +5 (-110)
  • Stanford -5 (-110)

Moneyline:

  • California +180
  • Stanford -225

Total: 129.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

California vs. Stanford Prediction and Pick

While Cal is suffering through a very rough stretch, it isn’t all down to bad play from the Golden Bears. Their schedule has been downright brutal with five of those seven losses coming against teams ranked in the top 15. The remaining two losses came on the road to good Washington and Washinton State squads. It would have been a tough stretch for even the best teams in the nation.

For a team like Cal, it was literally a no-win situation. They were underdogs in all seven of those games much like they are tonight on the road against Stanford. Cal is 4-2 ATS on the road as an underdog and 14-7 ATS overall. 

The Cardinals, on the other hand, have seen more ups than downs this year. They came out red-hot but have a 2-3 record in their last five games overall. However, two of those losses came to the top 10 teams in Arizona and UCLA. They also beat No. 15 USC twice last month. 

While I am not ready to call for an outright upset, I do think that Cal’s recent losses aren’t being looked at with the proper perspective. They got beat by seven teams ranged from much better to far superior so it’s hard to fault them too much. 

LEAN: Cal +5 (-110)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE

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