California vs Auburn Preview and Betting Pick For 9/7/2024

The California Golden Bears will take on the Auburn Tigers on September 7, 2024, at 3:30 pm ET. The DraftKings Sportsbook odds have the California Golden Bears as 13 point underdogs. Currently, 15% of spread bets are on the California Golden Bears, while 85% are on the Auburn Tigers. The opening total of 53.5 has led to 80% of bets on the under and 20% on the over. Whichever team you support, this Cal vs Auburn game is sure to be an exciting matchup worth watching.

Cal Up Against Tough Road Test

Last week, the Cal Golden Bears opened their season with FCS opponent UC Davis, winning that game by a score of 31-13. They forced three interceptions from UC Davis quarterback Miles Hastings in that contest, which made up for the fact that Cal's offense was lackluster to say the least. But a bad offensive showing will be a problem for Cal this week, as they are taking on a team that is much more capable on both sides of the ball.

Against UC Davis, Cal failed to break 300 yards of total offense. They averaged under 3.0 yards per attempt on the ground, against a team that they should have theoretically had a big physical advantage against. That is concerning to say the least going into a road game against a team from the SEC such as Auburn.

Auburn Hopes to Snap FBS Losing Streak

Last season ended poorly for the Auburn Tigers, as they lost three straight games to FBS opponents, including New Mexico State at home. On Saturday, they have a chance to end their losing streak to FBS opponents as they host the Cal Golden Bears. After beating FCS Alabama A&M by a score of 73-3 last week, Auburn should have plenty of confidence coming into this matchup.

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne looked great in his first game of the season against Alabama A&M. He threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns on just 13 completed passes. And while Thorne will face a better defense than he did last week in this game, he should be in for another strong showing so long as he does not fall victim to the same turnover issues that UC Davis' quarterback had against the Golden Bears.

Cal vs Auburn Best Bet

It may not be outside the box thinking, but our best bet for Cal vs Auburn is for Auburn to cover the spread as a double-digit home favorite. The Cal offense struggling as much as it did against UC Davis is cause for legitimate concern for Cal going into this game. We expect Auburn to win by double-digits for the second week in a row to begin their season, taking advantage of their weak early-season schedule.

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