Oregon St at California – Obama is a Factor

BetOnline NCAA Basketball Sports Betting Odds: CALIFORNIA -18.5

Here are some of the NCAA basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* OSU has lost five of its last six games SU

* OSU has covered two of its last six games

* OSU has played four of its last six games UNDER the total

* OSU has lost 15 of its last 16 road games SU

* OSU has covered two of its last eight road games

* OSU has played its last four road games UNDER the total

* CAL has won nine of its last ten games SU

* CAL has covered eight of its last nine games

* CAL has played six of its last nine games UNDER the total

* CAL has won its last 11 home games SU

* CAL has covered six of its last seven home games

Also…

* CAL has won the last six meetings SU

* CAL has covered four of the last six meetings

* CAL has won four of the last five meetings SU as the home team

* OSU has covered three of the last four meetings as the road team

* CAL has had the shooting edge in four of the last six meetings

* CAL has had the rebounding edge in six of the last seven meetings

It is clear that it is going to take a while for Oregon State to solve its shooting woes. Last Thursday’s game against Washington State produced just 36% and 57 points. Seven days prior to that the output was even worse, as the Beavers hit 36% of their shots again but lost a 69-38 decision to Arizona State. Despite the upset win over shell-shocked USC on January 4, Pac-10 play is probably not the potion for this team, which had posted wins over Fresno State and Nebraska in the non-conference schedule.

California has responded to new coach Mike Montgomery, for the most part anyway. The Bears are smarting from the 75-69 loss to Stanford last Saturday, which was especially grating for Montgomery, the former head man in Palo Alto. Prior to that they had won nine straight games, and covered all eight of those games that were posted on the board, including victories at Utah, Washington State and Washington, and at home against Nevada, Arizona and Arizona State. This won’t be a team for anyone to take lightly.

The Beavers played spirited ball in the overtime loss to Washington State, so this is not a team that rolled over and played dead as it did in last year’s disastrous campaign. Yes, there is some progress for OSU, namely the offensive production of Calvin Haynes (14.6 ppg) off the bench, but we hardly think that will compensate for the big edge Cal is bound to have in the backcourt, with three-point bombers like Jerome Randle (47.6%), Patrick Christopher (41.3%) and Theo Robertson (60%). That trumps the best the smallish Beavers have to offer.

The schedule-makers didn’t cooperate much here. Oregon State coach Craig Robinson is Barack Obama’s brother-in-law, and while he could have been running his team through the paces in preparation for this potentially overwhelming Pac-10 foe, he was at the inauguration. There is no doubt this will show. Let’s lay the points with California, the 18.5-point favorite in the BetOnline NCAA college basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: CALIFORNIA -18.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay makes his share of shots from downtown as a contributor to the BetOnline Locker Room)