Cal has gone from a 1-11 season to college football’s big stage in two seasons. Now the 23rd-ranked Golden Bears, off to their best start since 2007, are headed into their biggest game in coach Sonny Dykes’ three-year tenure when they visit No. 5 Utah on Saturday night in a matchup of the Pac-12’s only remaining undefeated teams.
ODDS
The line has fluctuated between -7.5 and -6.5 in favor of the Utes since opening. The total hit the board at 64. Cal is 6-1 ATS in its last seven road games and getting a touchdown on the road makes the Bears a smart play in what should be a close game. The current line is Utah -7 with a total of 61.
KEY MISMATCH
Led by Jared Goff, Cal has one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Goff threw four touchdown passes against Washington State last week to become the school’s all-time leader with 68. It was the fifth time in his career he’s thrown four or more touchdown passes in a game. The Golden Bears will likely need another big game from Goff against Utah, which is third in the Pac-12 against the run but eighth against the pass. Goff has a couple of big time receivers at his disposal in Kenny Lawler and Bryce Treggs. Lawler has a reception in every game he’s played at Cal and has two or more touchdown catches in a game eight times. He had six catches for 105 yards and two scores last week. Treggs hauled in a 34-yard touchdown catch last week and has at least one catch in 31 straight games. Cal is second in the Pac-12 and ninth nationally in passing offense with an average of 358.4 yards per game.
KEY STAT
18 – The Golden Bears lead the country in takeaways with 18 and their plus-eight turnover margin is best in the Pac-12. Utah is second in the conference at plus-seven and has turned the ball over four times.
BETTING ANGLE
The Pac-12 has provided many highlights in the early going of the college football schedule: UCLA freshman sensation Josh Rosen, Stanford’s resurgence after a Week 1 upset loss, the great play of Goff, just to name a few. But something bettors should take note of is the play of Pac-12 teams on the road in conference play. So far, visitors have gone 9-1 both straight up and against the spread in conference games. The only hiccup was Arizona getting shellacked 55-17 in its visit to Stanford last week. Other than that, it’s been nothing but wins in the standings and at the betting window for Pac-12 road teams. The Golden Bears took part in the trend by upending Washington two weeks ago and are 3-2 SU and 5-0 ATS over their last five conference road games.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
There’s a feeling in Berkeley that the No. 23 Bears will find a way to win no matter what the circumstances. They’ve rallied from big deficits and held on after blowing leads, and they’re about to find out if they can do it against stiffer competition. The Bears are 5-0 for the first time since 2007 and they’re not about to apologize for the wins that have come against teams with a combined 9-13 record. But taking on the Utes in Salt Lake City is an entirely different ballgame. The Bears will unleash their potent aerial attack, but they’ll need running backs Daniel Lasco and Khalfani Muhammad to provide balance against an impressive Utah front line. A week off also gave defensive end Hunter Dimick time to fully recover from his knee injury, further boosting the front line and giving Goff something extra to think about. Utah will control the clock with Devontae Booker getting his usual amount of touches, and the Utes will be the last remaining unbeaten in the Pac-12.
Utah 34, Cal 31
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Utes were positioned as 7.5-point favorites with a total of 64. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The California Golden Bears and Utah Utes square off on Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 10 p.m. ET at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
