California Golden Bears vs Stanford Cardinal Picks and Predictions November 23rd 2024

California Golden Bears vs Stanford Cardinal November 23rd 2024

Coming into this week 13 matchup, the California Golden Bears are favored at -14 as they host the Stanford Cardinal at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Kick-off is set for 3:30 ET, and the game can be seen on ACCN. The over/under line is currently at 55.5 points. The money line odds have California at -595 and Stanford at +425. California has a 5-5 record this season, while Stanford is 3-7.

Stanford vs. California Key Information

Stanford enters Week 13 with a 3-7 record, facing California. They are ranked 96th in our CFB power rankings and have no chance of reaching bowl eligibility.

Stanford has been the underdog in all ten games this season, going 2-7 in those matchups. Their average scoring margin is -12.4 points, and they are 3-5-1 against the spread.

The over/under line for this week is 55.5 points. Stanford’s games have averaged 56.8 points, with an average line of 53 points and an over/under record of 4-5.

Stanford’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 22.2 points per game, which ranks 78th nationally. They are 107th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 13. Their third-down conversion rate is low at 34.4%, and their passing game ranks 99th, with 190.2 yards per game. Ashton Daniels, their quarterback, has a passer rating of 77, with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Daniels has thrown for 1,309 yards, completing 63.4% of his passes. Stanford is 41st in rushing attempts, averaging 135.3 yards per game. Chris Davis Jr. leads the team with 272 rushing yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Elic Ayomanor is the top receiver with 660 yards and six touchdowns on 48 catches.

Stanford’s defense has struggled this season, allowing an average of 34.6 points per game, ranking them 92nd nationally. In their recent game against Louisville, they gave up 35 points, including four rushing touchdowns, while allowing 432 total yards, 270 of which came through the air.

Opponents have averaged 268.3 passing yards per game against Stanford, completing 67.3% of their passes. On the ground, Stanford has faced the 31st fewest rushing attempts nationally, allowing 148 rushing yards per game.

California enters Week 13 with a 5-5 record, ranked 42nd in our power rankings. They have an 87.6% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. At home, the Golden Bears are 2-3 this season.

Cal has been favored in five games, going 3-2 in those matchups. Their average scoring margin is +7.6, and they are 6-3 against the spread this season.

The over/under line for this week is 55.5 points. Cal’s games have averaged an O/U line of 51.8 points, with an average total score of 49 points per game.

California’s offense has been driven by their passing game, ranking 20th in passing attempts and 15th in completions heading into week 13. They are 27th in passing yards, averaging 273.8 yards per game, and 48th in scoring, with 28.3 points per game. Our power rankings place them 73rd nationally.

Fernando Mendoza has thrown for 2,705 yards and has a passer rating of 96. He has 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Jaivian Thomas leads the rushing attack with 583 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Nyziah Hunter has 432 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

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California’s defense ranks 28th nationally, allowing 20.7 points per game. They’ve given up 237 passing yards per game, ranking 114th, but have held quarterbacks to a 66.4 passer rating, the 12th-lowest in the country. Opposing QBs have completed 56% of their passes against Cal.

In their recent game, a 33-25 loss to Syracuse, Cal’s defense allowed 476 total yards, including 323 passing yards. Syracuse also ran the ball 35 times for 153 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

California is the -14 point favorite in this week 13 matchup against Stanford, but we like the Cardinal to cover the spread. Our projected final score is 31-18 in favor of California, but with Stanford as the road underdog, we expect them to cover the spread.

For the over/under, with the line sitting at 55.5 points, our projection of 49 combined points suggests taking the under as the best play.