Arizona Wildcats vs California Golden Bears Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 09/24/2022

by Rod Pearson

Friday, Sep 23, 2022
Game Time: 5:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 24, 2022
Venue:  California Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA
Where to Watch:  PAC-12 Network

 

Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Arizona +3, California -3; Over/Under:  50.5 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  Arizona +3, California -3; Over/Under:  50 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Arizona +3, California -3; Over/Under:  50.5 points
 

Season Record

Arizona Wildcats:  2-1 (8th place, PAC-12)
California Golden Bears:  2-1 (9th place, PAC-12)
 
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Recent Form
Arizona Wildcats:  won their last game at home against the North Dakota State Bison 31-28.
California Golden Bears:  lost their last game on the road against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24-17.

 

Arizona Wildcats vs California Golden Bears Preview and Analysis

 
Arizona is entering this game with a 2-1 record overall to start their college football season and they will be playing their 2nd road game of the season here as they are 1-0 in their road games this year. This will also be their 1st conference game of the college football season this year. They won against the North Dakota State Bison in their last game at home 31-28. Jayden de Laura started that game at QB and he completed 20/28 passes for 229 yards and 1 touchdown. Michael Wiley led the team in rushing with 51 yards and 1 TD on 9 rushing attempts. Dorian Singer led the team in receiving with 88 yards on 6 receptions. Christian Roland-Wallace led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles. Hunter Echols and Dion Wilson Jr. both led the defense in sacks with 1 each while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
 
 
 
California is entering this game with a 2-1 record overall to start their college football season and they will be playing their 3rd home game of the season as they are 2-0 in their home games this year. This will also be the 1st conference matchup on their conference schedule this season. They lost against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their last game on the road 24-17. Jack Plummer started that game at QB and he completed 16/37 passes for 184 yards and 1 touchdown. DeCarlos Brooks led the team in rushing with 43 yards on 5 carries. Jeremiah Hunter led the team in receiving with 66 yards on 5 receptions. Jackson Sirmon led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 11 assisted tackles. Jackson Sirmon led the defense in sacks with 1.5 while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.

 

Arizona vs California Prediction

The current betting odds have Arizona listed as a 3 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Both of these teams have played really well in their games this year but Arizona has the better team here. California did play very well in their last game as they almost beat Notre Dame on the road, but Notre Dame doesn't have a great team this year and this will be a bit of a let down for Cal since they really wanted to win that game. Arizona barely won against a team from the FCS in their last game and they were at home, but North Dakota State has a really good team in the FCS and Arizona still came away with the win despite it being close. Arizona has a lot of talent in their starting QB and he will move this offense down the field and score points on Cal. California does have a good defense that will make it hard on Arizona to score and keep this a close game, but their offense isn't great as they haven't put up a ton of points in their games and they will struggle to score on Arizona here. This could easily be a big upset for a hungry Arizona program but even if they do lose, it won't be by more than a field goal. The best way to place a bet here is on Arizona to cover the spread in this game.
 
Arizona California Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 24, 2022 (5:30 pm ET start time) is Arizona 24 California 20.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Arizona Wildcats California Golden Bears prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
 

NCAAF Betting Trends

 
Arizona Wildcats: 49-86 ATS off 1 or more straight overs. 15-30 ATS off an upset win as an underdog. 10-6 UNDER as a road underdog of 3 points or less. 
California Golden Bears: 8-1 ATS off 1 or more consecutive unders. 12-7 UNDER in all games. 19-8 UNDER off a road cover where the team lost as an underdog. 
 

Key Injuries

 
Arizona Wildcats:  W. Plummer (QB) Out indefinitely - Shoulder.
California Golden Bears:  None.
 

Notable Quotes

 
“I appreciate our fans. The ZonaZoo was awesome. I think we’re continuing to build that up the way we want it, which is just a great atmosphere. Our fans showed up, and I think our fans will continue to show up and continue to build and continue to get this thing better. So I want to thank them for being here.” - Jedd Fisch on the fans after his team’s win against North Dakota State in their last game.
 
 
"It's gut-wrenching. We had chances to win. Too many errors. One or two more plays." - Justin Wilcox after his team’s loss against Notre Dame in their last game.
 
 

Starting Lineups

 
Arizona Wildcats
WR McMillan, Tetairoa
WR Singer, Dorian  
WR Cowing, Jacob 
TE Lines, Alex
QB de Laura, Jayden 
RB Wiley, Michael 
 
California Golden Bears
WR Hunter, Jeremiah
WR Sturdivant, J.Michael
WR Anderson, Mavin 
TE Terry II, Jermaine 
QB Plummer, Jack
RB Ott, Jaydn
FB Tagaloa, Beaux 
 

Statistical Leaders

 
Arizona Wildcats
Passing: J. de Laura (748)
Rushing: M. Wiley (131)
Receiving: J. Cowing (245)
Touchdowns: J. Cowing (5)
 
California Golden Bears
Passing: J. Plummer (730)
Rushing: J. Ott (189)
Receiving: J. Hunter (223)
Touchdowns: J. Ott (3)
 
Coaches:
Arizona Wildcats: Jedd Fisch (2nd season)
California Golden Bears: Justin Wilcox (6th season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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