The California Golden Bears (6-7) will be at Maples Pavilion to square off against the Stanford Cardinal (11-2) in a Pac-12 matchup. Action gets underway at 11 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 2, 2020, and can be seen on ESPN2.
California Golden Bears vs. Stanford Cardinal Betting Odds
Both teams lost in their last game. The Cardinal fell to the fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, 72-56, while the Golden Bears were defeated by the Harvard Crimson, 71-63.
California had an offensive rebounding percentage of 29.5 (above their season average of 24.3) while Stanford did a great job of converting from the charity stripe (12-16; 75.0 percent). Oscar da Silva had a solid game for Stanford with 19 points. Meanwhile, California rallied around Matt Bradley, who put up 15 points and six rebounds.
This was a highly contested series last year, as the teams split their two games last season. In the most recent matchup, the Golden Bears won 64-59. The Golden Bears’ turnover percentage was their largest advantage over the Cardinal. California had a rate of 13.0, while Stanford posted a mark of 17.6. This is the first time these teams will battle this year.
Stanford figures to have the edge on the offensive side of the ball. The Cardinal currently rank 27th in effective field goal percentage (0.554), while California ranks 176th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.485). Furthermore, the Golden Bears are among the country’s elite at getting to the line, ranking 41st in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.274). The Cardinal, meanwhile, rank 12th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.145).
California Golden Bears vs. Stanford Cardinal Free Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Stanford, ATS Winner – California, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Stanford ranks 139th in assists per game (13.2) while California ranks 242nd (9.5).
- The Cardinal rank 246th in three pointers attempted per game (18.3) while the Golden Bears rank 283rd (13.8).
- Stanford averages 3.8 blocks per game, which is ranked 69th in the nation. California ranks 93rd in blocks allowed per game (3.4).
- The Golden Bears rank third in steals allowed per game (4.1) while the Cardinal rank 84th (6.3).
- Stanford ranks 156th in rebounds per game (35.5) while California ranks 234th (32.8).
Bettings Trends:
- The Cardinal’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.6, down from 13.5 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Golden Bears have scored an average of 64.2 points per game (1.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.6 points per game (1.8 above their season average).
