Stanford vs. California Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Friday, Jan. 26 (Stanford gets it done on the road)
Stanford has won three of its last four games to climb to third place in the Pac-12. The Cardinal haven’t played on the road in over two weeks and will take the short trip to Berkeley Friday night to take on the California Golden Bears.
California was 4-10 overall after an 0-3 start to conference play but has picked up the slack of late, winning three of five. In that span, the Golden Bears’ two losses were by a combined nine points to Oregon and Washington. Should you back California as a short favorite on Friday?
Here’s a betting preview of the conference clash with a best bet.
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Stanford vs. California odds, spread and total
Stanford vs. California betting trends
- Stanford is 9-9 ATS this season
- California is 10-9 ATS this season
- Stanford is 4-3 ATS as an underdog this season
- California is 1-6 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 13-5 in Stanford games this season
- The OVER is 13-6 in California games this season
Stanford vs. California how to watch
- Date: Friday, Jan. 26
- Game time: 10 p.m. EST
- Venue: Haas Pavilion
- How to watch (TV): FS1
- Stanford record: 10-8 (5-3 Pac-12)
- California record: 7-12 (3-5 Pac-12)
Stanford vs. California key players to watch
Stanford
Maxime Raynaud: The 7-foot-1 junior is one of five Stanford players averaging double figures this season. Raynaud averages 14.1 points per game and is second in the Pac-12 in rebounds (9.7). Raynaud reeled off three consecutive double-doubles before being held to 9 points and 9 rebounds in Stanford’s 90-80 win over Washington on Jan. 20.
California
Jaylon Tyson: The California offense is just ninth in the Pac-12 in scoring but Tyson has been an elite scorer after transferring from Texas Tech. The 6-foot-7 junior guard leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 21 points per game but also leads the Golden Bears in assists (3.1) and grabs 7.2 rebounds per night. Tyson tied a season-high with 30-point outings in wins over Colorado on Jan. 10 and Washington State on Jan. 20.
Stanford vs. California prediction and pick
This is Stanford’s first road test since Jan. 11, but the Cardinal have proven they can win on the road in conference play this season with victories at UCLA (59-53) and Oregon State (88-84 in overtime). Stanford’s offense is explosive and plays at a top-100 pace and they’ll face a California defense that ranks No. 246 in effective field goal percentage, No. 314 in turnover percentage, and No. 314 in defending shots from beyond the arc.
The perimeter is key given Stanford’s ability to break games open from distance. The Cardinal are No. 8 in KenPom in 3-point shooting at 40% and are No. 64 in shooting from inside the arc. Stanford’s elite shooting ability should offset its inability to produce second-chance opportunities (No. 342 in offensive rebounding) and California’s stubbornness on the defensive glass with 6-foot-11 forward Fardaws Aimaq grabbing 10.7 rebounds per game (sixth in the nation).
California’s offense is middle-of-the-road in most metrics and struggles on 2-point shots (No. 221). The Golden Bears also don’t have the depth to keep up with Stanford as they rank 288th in bench minutes and are just 1-6 ATS as a favorite this season. Stanford takes the short trip north to Berkeley and covers as a short underdog.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.