BYU vs. Cal Spread Prediction
Two teams looking to run their record to 2-0 on the new season will meet tonight at 10:15 p.m. ET when the BYU Cougars host the Cal Golden Bears. Will the Cougars cover the point spread as a small home favorite?
Game Snapshot
389 Cal Golden Bears at 390 BYU Cougars
10:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 8, 2018
Lavell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Cougars are 3-point favorites to beat the Golden Bears. The total, meanwhile, sits at 46.5 points. As of this writing, 62% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Cougars.
Cal Golden Bears
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said Monday that he probably won’t name a starting quarterback until just before kickoff on Saturday night against BYU. Ross Bowers, the junior incumbent, does not have this job on lock. Bowers struggled in the opener against UNC, a Cal victory. Redshirt freshman Chase Garbers also played, as did redshirt sophomore QB Brandon McIlwain, the transfer from South Carolina. Wilcox said he isn’t try to play coy with BYU, he’s just allow the QB competition to play itself out. “We planned on playing them all and giving them opportunities,” Wilcox said. “… I think all three of them can play better, and I think all three of them would tell you the same thing.”
BYU Cougars
BYU senior QB Tanner Mangum completed 18-of-28 passes for 209 yards, one touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday’s 28-23 road upset at Arizona. Mangum was playing in his first game action since November when he suffered an Achilles injury which required season-ending surgery. The 24-year-old signal caller threw for 3,377 yards and 23 touchdowns back in 2015, but he was named the backup in 2016 to Taysom Hill. He came back last season, but something was off. Mangum and the Cougars really struggled in 2017. Perhaps this will be a storybook ending to a roller coaster ride of a college career. So far, the final act is off to a good start. BYU hosts California next week in the team’s home opener in Provo.
Betting Trends
Cal
The Golden Bears are 3-0-1 against the spread in their last four games overall.
BYU
The Cougars have covered the spread in five of their last six games overall.
Prediction
In what should be a defensive battle, I like the Cougars to cover the spread. The number jumped from 1 to a field goal, which would indicate sharp money coming in on BYU. While Cal’s defense was much improved last season and took another step forward last week with four interceptions, the Cougars are just as good defensively, if not better. The Cougars are also 7-3 in home openers over the past 10 seasons, which included wins against Texas, Washington State and Washington. They’ll be amped tonight in front of their home crowd.
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