Auburn Tigers vs California Golden Bears Prediction, 9/9/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Auburn Tigers vs California Golden Bears

Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023

Location: California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, CA

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Golden Bears (+5)

Total/Over-Under: 56.5

The California Golden Bears (1-0) host the Auburn Tigers (1-0) at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday, September 9, 2023. Auburn opens this game as 5-point favorites from oddsmakers. The over/under has been set at 56.5.

The Auburn Tigers head into this matchup 1-0 this season. In their last game, the Tigers faced the UMass Minutemen and walked away with a win by a score of 59-14. Sean Jackson led the offense in rushing for the Tigers with 5 carries for 64 yards (12.8 yds per attempt). Payton Thorne connected on 10/17 with 141 yds passing and 1 TD. He had a QB rating of 147.9 and ended the game with no interceptions. When it came to stopping the run, the Tigers conceded 140 yds on 27 tries, which averages out to 5.2 yards per run allowed. Auburn relinquished 14 completions on 24 tries for a total of 161 yards, and a completion rate of 58.3%. When the final whistle blew, they ran 69 plays which gave them a total of 492 yds. The Auburn Tigers ran the ball a total of 44 times and compiled 289 yds, which is an average of 6.6 yds per attempt.

When talking about putting the ball in the endzone, the Auburn Tigers hold an average of 59.0 PPG. As a unit they average 289.0 yards rushing ranking this team at 10th in D-1. The Tigers have attained 492 total yards over the course of this year. In terms of notching touchdowns, Auburn has totaled 1 touchdown through the air and 6 touchdowns on the ground. Auburn has tallied 27 first downs as a team, and they have been flagged for 4 penalties for 40 yds. They have surrendered the ball 0 different times.

The Tigers are ranked 41st in the nation when it comes to the opposition scoring, conceding 14.0 points per contest. The opposition is running for an average of 5.2 yards per rush on the ground and 140.0 yards on the ground per game for the season. Overall, they have allowed 140 rushing yards through 1 game. Concerning yards via the pass, the Tigers have given up 161 yds which puts them in 43rd in D-1. They have relinquished 161.0 yards per outing via the pass and allowed a completion percentage of 58.3%. For the season, they are giving up 301.0 yards per outing which ranks them 60th in the country. They have given up 1 touchdown through the air in addition to 1 touchdown running the ball.

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The Golden Bears head into this game 1-0 for this season. For their last game, the Golden Bears took home the win by a final score of 58-21 when they faced the North Texas Mean Green. Ben Finley (1 TD) ended the contest with 279 yards on 24/34 passing while his quarterback rating was 143.3. He tossed 1 pick and his average yards per pass attempt was 8.2. Jaydn Ott ran the ball 20 times for 188 yds, finishing the game with 9.4 yards per attempt for California. The Golden Bears finished the game with a total of 669 yards while running 95 plays (7.0 yds per play). California ran for 6.4 yds per carry, finishing with 357 yds on 56 carries. California relinquished 27 attempts on the ground for 41 yds (1.5 yards per rush). The Golden Bears pass defense allowed a completion rate of 57.7%, surrendering 184 yards on 15 for 26 through the air.

Regarding their ability to score points, the Golden Bears are ranked 8th in college football by tallying 58.0 points per game. The California Golden Bears average 669.0 yards/contest, which ranks them 4th in college football. The California offense has compiled 60 yds of penalties on 8 violations, which is good for 34th in Division 1 in terms of helping out the other team. They have tossed 1 interception while letting opponents recover 1 fumble and they have earned 30 first downs.

The Golden Bears are relinquishing 21.0 PPG, which has them 72nd in the nation. California has given up a total of 41 yards via the ground game and no touchdowns on the ground on the campaign. Overall, they have allowed 21 total points. They have allowed 3 touchdowns through the air in addition to 184.0 yards/outing, ranking them 57th in D-1. The Golden Bears defense has been on the field for 53 plays, which has them ranked 16th in D-1. They have totaled no fumbles and 3 interceptions on the campaign.

Who will win tonight's Tigers/Golden Bears college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Golden Bears +5

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