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Cal at Oregon State Football Odds & Free Pick

Written by Steve Janus

Saturday Oregon State hosts the California Bears in Pac-10 college football action. Both teams sit at 6-3. Oregon State has faired slightly better in the conference, however, earning a 5-1 mark to Cal’s 4-2. Cal is fresh off of a noble effort at USC last week. The Bears lost the game 17-3, but they fared much better than most conference opponents have against USC. Oregon State, of course, upset the Trojans in week 5 and have looked great ever since, dropping just one game since that game, at Utah in a close one. The Beavers actually have a chance at winning the Pac-10 this year, having beaten USC, if they win the rest of their conference games they will be in position to take the crown. Unfortunately, starting with this week’s game against Cal, things only get more difficult for Oregon State. We will see if they can take a step in the right direction Saturday. Oregon State is a 3 point favorite over Cal with a total set at 51.5 points.

Cal is consistent on offense both through the air and on the ground. The Bears come into tonight’s game averaging over 150 yards on the ground and just at 220 years per game passing. On the whole, they’ve scored a ton of points as well, averaging 32.7 points per game even after only scoring 3 points against USC last week. Cal’s running game will likely be their focus this week with both Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen running well. They’ve paired up for over 1,300 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the season. What Cal needs is some decent play from their quarterback, which has been a bit of a crap shoot with Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley splitting time.

Defensively Cal has some of the best numbers in the conference. They are allowing 312 yards per game and are holding opponents to 20 points per game, decent numbers considering the offense-heavy Pac-10 that they play in. Last week they were beat up a bit by USC’s offense, but, on the whole, they’ve been solid. The defensive line will have their work cut out for them this week against a very good Oregon State running game. Cal is a 3 point underdog on the road this week.

Oregon State fields one of the best offenses in conference. Their 33.7 points per game and 425 total yards per game are more than enough to put this squad in elite company, as far as offenses go. What’s most impressive about the Beavers is their balance. They run the ball for about 170 yards per game and pass for just over 250. This should keep Cal off-balance on defense, something Oregon State has been able to do against almost every defense in the conference.

The Beavers’ defense has been good all year, especially at home where they are allowing just 16.5 points per game. On their home field, not many teams have been able to run the ball. Oregon State is giving up a mere 68 rushing yards on average at home. This is an aggressive group that will come after the quarterback and try to force him to make mistakes. This could be a huge problem for Cal, who doesn’t have a true leader at the position. My pick is on Oregon State -3 at home this week.

It’s going to be tough for Oregon State to run the table in the Pac-10 with their remaining schedule, but they have a great chance at home against Cal. The Beavers have the better offense and defense overall, but Cal is no joke and they have been improving all season. My money is on the home team in this one. Predicted Score: Oregon State 35, Cal 27

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