California vs. Oregon State Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks: College Football Week 1 Best Bets
I make my best California vs. Oregon State prediction as the Beavers look to seek revenge for the Golden Bears obliterating them one year ago. The Beavers are a 1.5-point home favorite ahead of Saturday’s 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) kickoff from Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.
Quarterback play will be a major factor in my college football picks. Maalik Murphy will start for the Beavers after a stellar season at Duke, while the Golden Bears will rely on a true freshman quarterback in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. How will this mismatch impact my college football predictions for Week 1?
🏈 California vs. Oregon State expert picks & predictions
College football expert picks made Thursday; odds subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Oregon State (-120 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Against the spread pick: Oregon State -1.5 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Under 49.5 (-108 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
📝 California vs. Oregon State preview & best bet
Track the latest college football scores for line movement and matchup info.
🦫 Oregon State -1.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Last season, the Beavers averaged just 201.4 passing yards per game, and against the Golden Bears, they completed just 50% of their passes for 140 yards. However, in the offseason, they acquired a new quarterback in Murphy, which instantly makes their offense more impressive.
Last season, Murphy threw for 2,933 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, as he led Duke to a 9-3 record. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears will be starting a true freshman quarterback in Sagapolutele. I expect him to struggle against a defense that allowed just 214.1 yards per game.
This will likely be a low-scoring game, but the Beavers are at home, and Murphy’s presence can’t be understated. A winning $10 bet will profit 9.09, as the odds imply the Beavers have a 52.38% of covering 1.5 points. Bettors are overwhelmingly backing Oregon State, which could push this spread through the key number before kickoff.
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💰 Best California vs. Oregon State player prop bet
Our college football player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
⬆️ Maalik Murphy Over 218.5 passing yards (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Last season, the Beavers averaged just 201.4 passing yards per game, but Murphy’s addition could be one of the biggest quarterback improvements in the nation. Playing in the ACC last season, Murphy threw for over 230 yards in eight games. Though he didn’t play Cal last season, he put up great numbers against plenty of defenses better than the Golden Bears’, which ranked in the bottom half of college football.
Murphy isn’t a runner, so he won’t steal passing yards from himself with his legs. Taking over an offense that struggled last season, I expect his arm to be the main focus of the game plan.
bet365's price could be better, with a $10 bet winning just $8.70. I’d wait and see what other sportsbooks offer, as I’d take this number up to 229.5.
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📊 California vs. Oregon State odds: Week 1
College football odds update live in real time.
📈 California vs. Oregon State betting odds analysis
The spread for this game opened at 2 points, but the number has dropped to 1.5. However, I don’t expect this number to be under 3 points at kickoff, as 70% of bettors are backing Oregon State.
Last season, California walloped Oregon State, but now that game time is approaching, it seems bettors are starting to realize how different the two teams are from last season.
🔢 California vs. Oregon State stats (2024)
Season stats courtesy of sports-reference.com.
| California (6-7) | Statistic (per game) | Oregon State (5-7) |
|---|---|---|
| 25.1 | Points | 24.2 |
| 22.3 | Points allowed | 29.9 |
| +0.9 | Turnover margin | -0.3 |
| 258.6 | Passing yards | 201.4 |
| 121.5 | Rushing yards | 189.2 |
| 227.6 | Passing yards allowed | 214.1 |
| 109.8 | Rushing yards allowed | 185.8 |
| +0.4 | Net yards per play | -0.9 |
🚑 California vs. Oregon State injuries
📺 California vs. Oregon State game info
- When: Saturday, Aug. 30
- Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Reser Stadium (Corvallis, Ore.)
- How to watch: ESPN
❓ California vs. Oregon State FAQs
Who is favored to win California vs. Oregon State?
Oregon State is slightly favored over California, with moneyline odds between -120 and -125.
What is the spread for California vs. Oregon State?
Oregon State is favored by 1.5 over California.
What is the Over/Under for California vs. Oregon State?
The total for this game is set between 49.5 and 50.5, with bettors split pretty evenly on whether they think the Over or Under will hit.
What are the best bets for California vs. Oregon State?
My best bets for California vs. Oregon State are Oregon State -1.5 (-110) and Maalik Murphy Over 218.5 passing yards (-115).
When is the California vs. Oregon State game?
California vs. Oregon State will kickoff on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 10:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN.
How do college football odds work?
When betting on college football, the point spread shows how many points the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -3 must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while an underdog at +3 must win outright or lose by fewer than 3 points to cover the spread.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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