California at Oregon Odds

Written by Jack Jones

The ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks are set to host the California Golden Bears Thursday night in Pac-12 action. Both teams come off a bye and have nearly two full weeks to prepare for this game. Cal gave Oregon their biggest scare during the 2010 regular season as the Ducks prevailed 15-13 on the road. The Ducks won 42-3 over the Bears in ‘09 in their last home meeting in this series. Kickoff is set for 9:00 EST Thursday at Autzen Stadium in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Taking a look at the college football spreads for Week 6, I find a line of Oregon -23.5 over Cal.

Oregon

The Ducks have rebounded nicely from a season-opening 40-27 loss to then-No. 4 LSU. Oregon (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12) beat Nevada 69-20 in Week 2, Missouri State 56-7 in Week 3, and then topped Arizona 56-31 on the road in Week 4. Heisman Trophy candidate LaMichael James set a school record with 288 rushing yards in their win over the Wildcats.

James now has 613 rushing yards (9.4/carry) and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2011. He also has 11 catches for 159 yards and a score. Darron Thomas has been solid at quarterback, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 842 yards and 12 touchdowns to one interception. Lavasier Tuinei leads all receivers with 15 grabs for 177 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon ranks 6th in the country in total offense (533.8 yards/game) and 1st in scoring offense (52.0 points/game). Their defense has taken a step back this year, though. The Ducks are 74th in total defense (389.6 yards/game) and 59th in scoring defense (24.5 points/game).

California

The Bears got off to a fast start this season, but will be looking to bounce back from their first loss of the year. Cal (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) opened their season with a 36-21 win over Fresno State. They would go on the road in Week 2 and come away with a 36-33 overtime victory at Colorado. The Bears got a cupcake in Week 3, topping Presbyterian 63-12 at home. Cal would suffer their first loss at Washington by a final of 31-23 in Week 4. They outgained the Huskies 457-409, but would have to settle for three short Giorgio Tavecchio field goals. Their inability to capitalize in the red zone proved to be the difference.

Zach Maynard has played pretty well at quarterback, throwing for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns to three interceptions. The one knock on him is his accuracy (52.2 percent completions). Isi Sofele has carried the load on the ground, rushing for 380 yards and four touchdowns. Keenan Allen (30 receptions, 498 yards, three TD) and Marvin Jones (23, 375, three TD) are clearly their best playmakers at receiver.

Cal has been a very solid team on both sides of the football. The Bears rank 24th in total offense (456.3 yards/game) and 15th in scoring offense (39.5 points/game). They are also 27th in total defense (311.3 yards/game) and 55th in scoring defense (24.3 points/game). Cal has really shifted their focus on offense to the passing game, where they are 22nd in yards per game (295.3) through the air.

Betting Trends

The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings in this series, and Cal is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings, and the Under is also 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Oregon.

The Ducks are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 home games. Oregon is 24-11-1 ATS in their last 36 games as a favorite of 10.5 or greater. The Ducks are also 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a bye week.

Cal is 20-6-1 ATS in their last 27 games as an underdog of 10.5 or greater, but the Bears are just 7-19 ATS in their last 26 road games overall.

If you want the winner of this game and many others in Week 6, then sign up for a premium package from expert handicapper Jack Jones today.

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