California Golden Bears vs Utah Utes Point Spread Picks

At 3-3, California is fighting for a bowl and has outscored opponents this season. They come off a 24-21 win over Arizona State and a loss to Oregon State despite scoring 40 points. QB Fernando Mendoza played well against Oregon State (21-of-32, 2 TDs, one pick) and the ground game is averaging 5.1 yards per rush. Cal is a big underdog in this one but has scored 90 points in two road games. Utah is tied for last in scoring of all the Pac-12 teams. The Utes have been without QB Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe, both recovering from serious injuries. They come off a 21-7 loss to Oregon State and have had to make do with QBs freshman Nate Johnson and Bryson Barnes (1 TD, 2 INTs). The ground game is averaging 3.4 yards per carry. The Utah offense is 127th in the nation in total yards (266 per game), 114th on third down (31.67%), and 121st in points scored (16.3 per game). Play California on the moneyline.

Is anyone doubting unbeaten Utah now? They've scored 45 and 62 points the last two games, winning by 21 and 42 points -- and both were on the road at Fresno and Oregon. They also have a 24-17 victory over Michigan on their helmets. The win against Oregon was an eye-opener, rolling up 530 yards (273 rushing), with a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. Coach Kyle Whittingham has a loaded team, one with balance on offense behind senior QB Travis Wilson (four TDs, no picks versus Oregon), power RB Devaontae Booker (443 yards) and a ferocious defense. Utah's defense has yet to give up more than 24 points while forcing 11 turnovers. Utah is on a 4-1 ATS run, 6-2 ATS after a victory and 10-3 ATS against a team with a winning record. Cal is getting a lot of national attention behind their star QB, but this defense is still a soft spot allowing 44 points to Texas and 28 to Washington State last week in another close call. They allowed Washington State 403 yards, including going 9-of-15 on third down while coming back from a 21-13 halftime deficit. And their win over struggling Texas was by one point. The Golden Bears are 8-17 ATS in their last 25 PAC-12 contests and when these teams meet the home team is 4-1 ATS. Lay the points on Utah.

This is not a vintage version of either program. These two teams have collected just five wins and ten losses between them. The Utah offense has really struggled. In their six games vs. FBS teams the Utes are averaging less than 17 points per game. Cal started the season with a lot of question marks on defense. They allowed over 30 points per game to all three of their opponents, which included Southern Utah. The Bears have made great strides since with no one scoring more than 27 against them. That includes games against USC, UCLA and Arizona State, so they certainly have the ability to stop a poor Utah offense here. The Golden Bears were embarrassed at home in their last game, but they have picked up the pieces to grab the cash at 6-1-1 ATS mark in their game following a 10 or more point home loss. Utah had a good defensive game in their last outing, allowing less than 100 yards rushing. But when they do that, their next game shows them 2-8 ATS. Play on California in this one.