Auburn vs. Cal Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 2: Tigers Road Favorites Over Golden Bears

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07 September 2023

Auburn vs. Cal Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 2: Tigers Road Favorites Over Golden Bears

The Auburn Tigers are favored over the Cal Golden Bears in Week 2. However, the margin may be too wide as we make our top prediction for the Auburn vs. Cal game, based on the best college football odds.

It's challenging to anticipate what to expect in Week 2 when mediocre Power 5 teams meet inferior opponents in Week 1. In the Tigers' 59-14 victory over the UMass Minutemen, they rushed for 289 yards and scored six touchdowns. Quarterback Payton Thorne had a relatively average performance in his debut start for the Tigers, throwing for only 141 yards and one touchdown."

Meanwhile,the Golden Bears were even better on the ground, rushing for 347 yards and sixtouchdowns in their 58-21 win over the North Texas Mean Green. Running backJaydn Ott ran for 178 yards and two TDs, while fellow running back Isaiah Ifanse added threetouchdowns of his own.

Hereis our best Auburn vs. Cal prediction and college football picks (odds via our best college footballbetting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Auburn vs. Cal prediction: Week 2

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Theseason started shaky for the Tigers' defense. It allowed the Minutemen an eight-play,89-yard touchdown drive, which knotted the game at 7-7 early inthe first half. Auburn settled in after that and caused two turnovers, but did let the Minutemen move the ball over midfield on numerous occasions.

What's most concerning for the Tigers when making our college football best bets for Saturday is that Minutemen running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 101yards on 14 carries. The Golden Bears have a really good running back group,and if the Tigers struggle to stop the run, they may never get their offense onthe field.

Even when their offense is playing, what did it do in Week 1 that makesthem 6.5-point road favorites? Auburn has plenty of guys who can run the ball,but Thorne did nothing in Week 1 to prove he's any better than he waslast season with the Michigan State Spartans.

Finally,this is simply a fishy line. Are the Tigers favored only because they’re an SECschool? If they’re so much better than the Golden Bears, why didn’tour best sports betting apps give them the key number? It feels like bettors are being baitedinto taking the Tigers. After Week 1, and based on what each ofthese teams has to offer, go with the hosts.

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Auburn vs. Cal best odds

There's no discrepancy in this spread at any of our best sports betting sites. Therehasn’t been much action on this game yet, so it’s hard to tell which way thepublic will go, but with this number below 7, expect wagers to back theTigers early. Whether it moves the line or not remains to be seen.

Each of our best sportsbooks offer value, so it may pay to wait a bitand see if any of these books move the spread to 7. If they do, jumpon that line immediately.

Auburn vs. Cal odds

TheTigers opened as 6.5-point favorites, and the spread hasn't changed. Most wagers back the Golden Bears, but there's been very littleaction on this game to this point. As kickoff gets closer, expect bettors toback the Tigers, which may move this spread to -7. We doubt it goes any furtherthan 7.5.

Thetotal for this game opened at 54, and while it's stayed there at a fewsportsbooks, it's dropped to 53.5 at others. Over 66% of wagers back the Over, but oddsmakers don’t seem too worried about that. This line feelsright, and with both of these teams relying on the run, lean to the Under as well.