Betting Trends: Auburn has lost six straight road games and Cal is 7-2 ATS in its last nine Saturday games at California Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers didn't impress me against UMass, completing just 56% of their passes for 203 yards and one TD. QB Payton Thorne bolted for Auburn after being asked to compete for the starting job at Michigan State, where he underperformed last season after thriving two seasons ago with Kenneth Walker III at tailback. The Auburn receivers aren't up to SEC standards, either, and the team's best offensive player, running back Jarquez Hunter may not play tomorrow.

California has a great RB of its own in Jaydn Ott. The sophomore gashed North Texas for 178 rushing yards and two scores in week one, carrying momentum into 2023 following a good freshman season. The Golden Bears didn't miss a beat offensively against the Mean Green, even when their starting QB exited with an injury. The ground game was dominant, rushing 56 times for 347 yards and six TDs. I'm confident in both QBs, as they will have a great complementary run game to lean on vs. Auburn, who surrendered 140 rushing yards on 5.2 yards per carry to the Minutemen last week.

This cross-country game kicks off at 9:30 p.m. local time — the Tigers will look flat against the high-powered Bears, failing to cover the spread.