The California Bears (6-7 overall, 1-5 Pac-12) visit the Colorado Buffaloes (9-3, 3-2) in a Thursday afternoon (2 p.m. ET) contest at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Colo. Below, we analyze the California-Colorado college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
California at Colorado: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:04 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Cal +1000 (bet $100 to win $1,000) | Colorado -2000 (bet $2,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Cal +15.5 (-110) | Colorado -15.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 134.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
California at Colorado: Three things to know
- Colorado returns to its home hardwood after defeating Utah on the road Monday. On Thursday, the Buffs defeated then-No. 15 Oregon at the Coors Center. CU is 9-1 over its last 10 at home; the Buffaloes are 144-27 at home in their 10-plus seasons under head coach Tad Boyle.
- The Bears haven’t won a road game since Feb. 19 last season. Cal has lost eight road tilts in a row since; that includes five straight road losses this season. Road defense has been a problem for California. The Bears have coughed up 70-plus points in each road setback this season. Three-point defense has been a common thread in each of those five losses: opponents have shot 46.4% from beyond the arc in those games.
- CU’s top four scorers and top four rebounders are upperclassmen. That group is embodied by G McKinley Wright IV, who is averaging 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game this season. Over his last three home games, Wright has averaged 19.0 points per game on the strength of a 65.6% accuracy mark from the field.
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California at Colorado: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Colorado 77, Cal 60
Money line (ML)
The Buffaloes look like they might be underrated nationally. While not exactly playing a slew of tough non-conference games, Colorado did manage to mostly blow the doors of several foes that are solidly middle-third placed in efficiency rankings. And that’s evident in CU’s early ATS record: the Buffs went 5-1 ATS over their first six games.
Colorado is the hard lean in a vacuum, but there is no lean on a well-bracketed money line: PASS.
Against the spread (ATS)
Look for sizable CU advantages with inside scoring and getting to (and converting at) the line. The Buffs also figures to be a plus in rebounding and in turnovers. In all the ways games are won, Colorado gets a 3-to-5-point edge, and that adds up to near-20 in this one.
TAKE THE BUFFALOES -15.5 (-110).
Over/Under (O/U)
Tag this one with a slight lean toward the OVER 134.5 (-110); a few of Colorado’s comps for this game tilt that way.
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