Oregon Ducks vs. California Golden Bears Odds, College Football Betting Pick

Oregon owns the recent rivalry with California, winning eight of the last nine meetings straight up and going 7-2 against the spread over that run. Can the Ducks bounce back from a disheartening defeat last week when they battle the Bears on Saturday night in Berkeley?

College football point spread: The Ducks opened as 2.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 34.6-27.4 Ducks (College football picks on every game)

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Why the Oregon Ducks can cover the spread

Oregon is 3-1 on the season, and should be 4-0. But instead the Ducks are looking to bounce back this week after blowing a game royally last week, losing at home to Stanford 38-31 in overtime.

Oregon drove its first three possessions last week 82, 88 and 75 yards to touchdowns, led 24-7 at the half and appeared to take a 30-7 lead late in the third quarter. But a botched replay reversal led to an 80-yard Cardinal defensive touchdown, completely reversing momentum. The Ducks still led in the final minute but a lost fumble led to a Stanford field goal that forced OT, where Oregon gave up a Cardinal score, then threw an interception to steal defeat from the jaws of victory.

On the night the Ducks out-gained the Cardinal 524-398, out-rushed Stanford 178-71 and held a 36/24 advantage in time of possession. They just fell victim to the football gods. Oregon won its first three games this season by an average score of 52-20.

Why the California Golden Bears can cover the spread

Cal is off to a 3-0 start this season, after disposing of Idaho State two weeks ago 45-23. The Bears then enjoyed last week off.

California scored the first 14 points of the game against the Bengals and led 28-3 at the half. The Bears later pushed their advantage to 45-9 before allowing two meaningless Idaho State touchdowns in the last five minutes, creating a slightly misleading final score.

On the evening Cal out-gained the Bengals 482-319, and almost half the yardage the defense gave up came on Idaho State's final two possessions. The Bears also ran the ball for 213 yards and added a touchdown on an 89-yard kickoff return by Ashtyn Davis.

Stretching back to last season Cal is 6-2-1 ATS over its last nine games, perhaps playing a bit under the radar. The Bears also own a win this season over BYU, and that's looking even better now following the Cougars' upset of Wisconsin.

Smart betting pick

Oregon had Stanford beat last week but gave it away, and it's difficult to tell how a team will react after something like that. Cal, meanwhile, already owns a quality win this season, and had last week off to prepare for this one. Smart money here bets the Bears.

College football betting trends

The total has gone over in three of Oregon's last four games vs Cal.

Cal is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games at home.

Oregon is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road after consecutive home games.

All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.