Cal vs San Diego State prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/21/2024 09:38 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Cal-San Diego State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Cal-San Diego State.
The San Diego State Aztecs will try to avoid stepping in a pothole on the Saturday before Christmas. San Diego State has lost to Oregon and Gonzaga but has beaten Houston and taken care of business in its other games. The Aztecs have not done great damage to their NCAA Tournament resume, but they have left a few profile-enhancing opportunities on the table. They’re in a position where losing games they are expected to win would create some degree of discomfort heading into Christmas. Losing at home to Cal would be one such damaging loss. The Aztecs need to avoid such occurrences to feel they are fundamentally safe and are on the right track this season. The Mountain West is likely to be ferocious once again this season. Keep in mind the MWC had six teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, so the Aztecs — expected to be in the top tier of the league — can’t give away unexpected losses, especially at home. They need to enter January in full control of their fate and not needing help anywhere else in the conference or, for that matter, the nation at large. Losing to Cal would cause SDSU to cede leverage, and that’s something coach Brian Dutcher will work to avoid.
Cal blew an 18-point lead to Missouri a few weeks ago and never seemed to recover from that loss. Cal then lost at home to Cornell and to Stanford, and has four losses on the season. That’s not where coach Mark Madsen hoped to be right now. Losing an 18-point lead just can’t happen. Losing at home to an Ivy League opponent also can’t happen. The Golden Bears have been hit by injuries, but even then, they have gone through prolonged periods of at least 10 minutes in a game — if not longer — in which they get completely stymied and have absolutely no answers. Mark Madsen is in his second year with the program. He had surely hoped that Year 1 would be his worst and most difficult year, a campaign with the most growing pains and periods of difficulty. Year 2 is proving to be almost as hard, and that has to be a source of immense frustration. Cal has to hope that it can get healthier both physically and in the win column, but San Diego State on the road is a very tough challenge for the Bears.
Here are the Cal-San Diego State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Cal-San Diego State Odds
Cal: +7.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +250
San Diego State: -7.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -315
Over: 146.5 (-110)
Under: 146.5 (-110)
How to Watch Cal vs San Diego State
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT
TV: ACC Network
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Why Cal Will Cover The Spread/Win
The spread is large enough that if Cal plays a reasonably good game, it can stay close enough to cover. Losing by seven points would do the job from a betting standpoint. Given how much Cal has struggled, and how much the Bears really need to win this game outright, you should see an urgent performance from the Bears which puts game pressure on SDSU all the way.
Why San Diego State Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Aztecs are playing a lot better than a struggling Cal team. They’re at home. Don’t complicate this one.
Final Cal-San Diego State Prediction & Pick
San Diego State has been playing better than Cal. SDSU is at home. We don’t see why this spread isn’t closer to 10 points. Take SDSU.
Final Cal-San Diego State Prediction & Pick: San Diego State -7.5
The post Cal vs San Diego State prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
