Can we strike gold with the Golden Bears? Wake Forest enters this weekend ranked No. 21 in the nation with a 5-1 record and a perfect 3-0 mark on the road. On the surface, laying less than 10 points against an unranked California team may seem reasonable. However, the deeper I look into this matchup, the more I believe the Golden Bears are being undervalued. Wake has undoubtedly earned its ranking, but this will be its first trip to the West Coast this season and one of the more challenging travel spots on its schedule.
The Demon Deacons have built their success around an explosive offense that is averaging 36.8 points and more than 435 total yards per game. Those numbers are impressive, but California doesn't need to win this game outright to make this a winning ticket. The Bears simply need to keep the contest competitive, something home underdogs have a habit of doing when a ranked opponent travels across multiple time zones.
Public perception sees a Top-25 team facing an unranked opponent. The oddsmakers, however, appear to see something different. If Wake Forest were truly a tier above California, this number would likely be north of double digits. Instead, we're getting nearly 10 points with the home team in a game that projects to be closer than the records suggest. Wake Forest will likely leave Berkeley with a victory, but California looks more than capable of keeping this one close and within the 9.5.
California vs Wake Forest prediction: California +9.5 (-105) available at time of publishing. Playable to +9 (-110).
