I have made this statement countless times before, but I believe it’s something that bears repeating: the college basketball point spreads doesn’t really get underway until conference play begins. Sure, we get to see the occasional upset in the opening couple of months when non-conference action is on tap, but all the fun really begins at the start of the New Year. Just look at how tight the 6 major conferences are right now to get an idea of how much fun this time of year really is. The PAC-12 is one of the conference that has started out with a bang, and we have an exciting match-up on tap for Thursday night, as the California Golden Bears go on the road to face an Oregon Ducks team that is currently ranked #11 in the nation, and which has yet to lose a game in conference play. California are a game and a half back of the top spot in the conference, and would like to steal this one on the road to close the gap a little.

California Golden Bears At Oregon Ducks Lines, Expert Pick & TV Info

When: Thursday, January 19 at 9 PM EST Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene TV: ESPN2 Live Stream: Watch ESPN NCAAB Odds: TBA

Why bet on the California Golden Bears

California are coming into this one on a modest 3-game win streak, but it is their performance against ranked teams that needs to be seriously looked at. California Golden Bears had lost 3 in a row to ranked opposition this season before taking out USC as part of their current winning run. The good news is that they have been dominant versus the Ducks in recent year, going 7-3 SU in their last 10 meetings. The shine is taken off that record a little when you see that they have dropped 2 of the last 3 versus Oregon, including the last road meeting they had with the Ducks. This will be jut their third road game of the season, and they are currently 1-1 away from home.

Why bet on the Oregon Ducks

How do you bet against a team that has won 14 straight games after going 2-2 to start the season? The Ducks have been undeniably hot, and have a very nice balance between offense and defense that allows them to beat their opponents in a variety of different ways. While the Golden Bears had definitely not been one of their favorite opponents in recent years, the tide turned a little with 2 Ducks wins in their last 3 meetings with California. Oregon has been great in their own building this season, going a perfect 11-0, although they are just 5-5 ATS in lined games on home court.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The last time these two teams met, the Golden Bears won in a 20-point blowout. I think this one is going to be a whole lot closer, and perhaps a little lower scoring, too. I like the Ducks to win, but by a tight margin.