The Stanford Cardinal (-2) aren’t traveling far to take on their Pac-12 foe California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Pac-12 Networks will broadcast the action and the game’s scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: Stanford Cardinal at California Golden Bears
California is the underdog in this Pac-12 game and is currently getting 2 points. The Cardinal are also receiving -130 moneyline odds while the Golden Bears are +110. Some decent in-game betting scenarios should present themselves during the showdown, and Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 48.5 points.
The Cardinal are 6-4-1 against the spread (ATS) and are down 0.3 units this season. The team’s posted an Over-Under record of 7-3.
The Golden Bears have gained 2.9 units so far. The team is 6-4-1 ATS and has an O/U record of 2-8.
The Cardinal have gone 7-4 straight up (SU), including 5-3 SU against conference opponents. The Golden Bears are 7-4 SU overall and are also 4-4 SU in conference play.
Each team enters this matchup on a two-game winning streak. The Cardinal just got a 49-42 victory over UCLA last week. K.J. Costello completed 23-of-37 passes for 344 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Bryce Love (85 yards on 22 rushes, one TD) led the running attack in the win while Trenton Irwin (seven receptions, 103 yards, one TD) and JJ Arcega-Whiteside (seven catches, 106 yards, three TDs) handled the receiving duties.
California is coming off of a 33-21 win over Colorado. The team’s defense allowed the Buffaloes to run for 148 yards on 43 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Laviska Shenault Jr. was a bright spot in the loss for Colorado, recording 65 yards on seven catches. For California, Chase Garbers completed 14-of-26 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Patrick Laird (45 yards on 18 rush attempts) and the signal-caller Garbers (47 yards on 12 carries) spearheaded the ground attack in the win while Vic Wharton III (six receptions, 61 yards) and Moe Ways (three catches, 43 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps.
Stanford has run the ball on 45.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while California has a rush percentage of 54.6 percent. The Cardinal have produced 109.8 rush yards/game (including 120.8 per game against Pac-12 opponents) and have 13 scores via handoffs this year. The Golden Bears are totaling 162.7 rushing yards per game (156.3 in conference) and have 12 total rush TDs.
If the numbers so far this season are any indication, then it seems like the Golden Bears should have an advantage in all aspects of the ground game, as their backfield has produced 4.2 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 3.6 to opponents. The Cardinal have recorded 3.8 yards per carry while allowing 3.8 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Cardinal offensive scheme has logged 291.6 yards per game through the air overall (311.0 per game against conference opposition) and has 28 passing TDs so far. The Golden Bears have recorded 187.3 pass yards per contest (182 in the Pac-12) and have 15 total pass scores.
Stanford has let opponents run for an average of 139.6 yards and throw for 281.7 yards per game. The California defense has allowed 182.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 136.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Golden Bears are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 3.62 to opponents, while the Cardinal have given up a 6.37 ANY/A.
Offensively, Costello is up to 2,856 passing yards this season, and has completed 66 percent of his 334 attempts with 24 scores through the air and 10 interceptions. Costello’s got a pristine 7.94 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 11.09 over the last two outings.
In the other locker room, Chase Garbers has managed to complete 111-of-176 passes for 1,123 yards, 12 TDs and five INTs. Garbers’ ANY/A sits at 5.55 for the season and 4.46 across his last two outings.
When these two squads faced one another last year, Stanford won by a field goal 17-14.
Stanford Cardinal at California Golden Bears Betting Pick
SU Winner: California, ATS Winner: California, O/U: Under
Team Betting Notes
- The Stanford defensive unit has sacked opposing QBs 31 times this season. California has produced 26 sacks.
- California has lost 10 fumbles in 2018 while Stanford has let three get away.
- The Cardinal offense has registered seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Golden Bears have put up four such plays.
- The Stanford defense has allowed seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while California has given up five such plays.
- The Stanford offense has created 12 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while California has created nine such runs.
- The Cardinal defense has allowed 13 rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Golden Bears have given up eight such runs.
- The O/U for California’s last game was set at 44.5. The over cashed in the 33-21 triumph over Colorado.
- In its last three games, California is 3-0 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- In its last three matchups, Stanford is 2-0-1 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
- California has won five of its last six games SU, with a -6-point loss to Washington State on November 3rd representing the only defeat over that span.
- The O/U for Stanford’s last game was set at 60.5. The over cashed in the team’s 49-42 win over UCLA.
- Stanford has produced 5.4 yards per carry across its past three games and 6.2 over its last two.
- California has averaged 3.0 yards per carry over its last three outings and 3.0 over its last two.
