How and what to watch for Cal vs. Oregon State

This week the 0-1 California Golden Bears head over to Corvalis to take on the 0-2 Oregon State Beavers.

The PAC-12 is the hardest league to handicap so far just because of the extremely limited sample size. It’s Week 12 and some teams have still not played a single game. Still, we’re going to try anyway.

Both of these sides have had horrible defensive performances through a limited number of games. Oregon State is giving up almost 33 points per game whereas Cal allowed 34 in its hastily thrown together game last week. Cal only had a couple days to prepare for that one, so we can give them the benefit of the doubt that they won’t do that again. The Beavers defense got better between its first and second game, and there’s no reason to believe that it won’t get even better this week, especially against a Golden Bears offense that only put up 10 points and less than 176 total yards last week.

Oregon State’s offense has been way better, averaging 351.5 yards per game and scoring at least 21 in both games so far this season. Though it’s hard to read too much into any stats because of the small sample, particularly in Cal’s case after barely having a chance to game plan for last week’s game.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Cal vs. Oregon State on Saturday, November 21st at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, or you can stream it via the Fox Sports Go app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Cal (-2.5) vs. Oregon State
Point Total: 47
Money line: Cal (-137) vs. Oregon State (+114)

• The total has gone under way more often than not with the Golden Bears, it’s hit below the projected point total in 14 of its last 20.
• Cal has been kind to people who bet on them to cover the spread, going 4-2 ATS in its last six
• Like Cal, the Beavers have treated people who bet on them to cover well, going 4-1 ATS in its last five
• It’s risky to bet on OSU straight up though, the team has lost five of its last six games.

Betting splits

Cal: (2% of handle, 35% percent of bets)
Oregon State: (98% of handle, 65% percent of bets)

The Best Bet

The best bet here is to stay far away from any PAC-12 action, to be honest. We don’t know enough about any of these teams to make a real prediction. Still, if you’re going to throw some cash on it, the trends would suggest the point total is the best choice here given the low scores these teams can put up.

Pick: Under 47

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO) or 1-800-BETS OFF (IA). 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.