Week 1 2012 Nevada vs Cal Predictions
I have long been a fan of Nevada and that hasn’t changed with their move to the Mountain West Conference. With their old pals the Boise State Broncos also in the fold I don’t see a championship in their immediate future but they definitely won’t embarrass themselves.
Nevada Wolf Pack vs California Bears
September 1
California Memorial Stadium – Berkeley, CA
3:00PM
Moneyline: California -400, Nevada +330
Spread: California -11
O/U: 55
Nevada
They won’t do that either when they venture to California to open the season in a very intriguing MWC vs Pac 12 matchup.
One of the reasons I like the Wolfpack so much is their Pistol offense. It is a unique and powerful running machine and when it is going well a super effective weapon. Two years ago Nevada used it to rumble for more than 300 yards against Cal, dominating in a way that is not usually seen given the conference affiliations.
This team has lost some key contributors from last year but with QB Cody Fajaro returning they should be able to reload, at least on offense – they were 6th in yards last year.
At +11 there are lots of reasons to like Nevada in the season opener. They should challenge in the Mountain West, have traditionally played well against the “bigger” teams and have an offense that is tough to prepare for.
They might not have that one superlative player but they are well coached and should be in the game to the end. Great value on this side.
California
Cal is looking forward to opening up their renovated stadium but the program has been down lately. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
When USC was at its best under Pete Carroll it was the Bears that were the conference threat but now they have been passed in the pecking order by Oregon, Stanford and Utah with programs on the come from the states of Washington and Arizona.
Coach Jeff Tedford who is one of the league longest tenured is on the hot seat.
The most exciting thing about the Bears is the pass catch combo of brothers Zach Maynard and Keenan Allen. Maynard is a transfer from Buffalo (of all places) who needs to learn when to not throw the ball, while Allen is one of the top 10 receivers in the nation.
Were it not for a couple of guys at USC that overshadow him in his own conference he might be considered one of the best in the nation. Don’t forget Cal cranks out 1000 yard rushers so the offense should be in pretty good shape.
This line is pretty interesting as the Bears have not been this big a favourite since the 2009 season where they were favourites of 21, 14 and even 36 points with a 1-1-1 ATS record in those contests. I think this is a case where they are getting too much respect due to conference affiliation.
They should have learned something from the embarrassment of a few years ago but will it be enough.
I like the upset potential.
Spread Pick: Nevada +11
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Cal 33 – Nevada 30
