We've got two teams here going in opposite directions and, while I do give an extra point or two to Cal for the weeknight home crowd, Washington State is still cheap based on current form. Cal comes of two blowout losses on the road, both against good teams. But the edge WSU has is a defense that keeps improving every week, which has helped the Cougars cover their past four games. Cougars get the cover again Friday.

The Cougars have been up tempo, but have played some opponents that are not interested in keeping pace, so their numbers are a little lower that what they should be. Cal coach Justin Wilcox has kept his promise to play fast, but his defense is showing signs of wearing down. Take this one Over the posted total.

Washington State is usually the Pac-12 version of Oklahoma State. Explosive offense that tends to fold after a while. The Cougars got the great win against USC, and followed it with a solid win at Oregon. This team feels different to me, and will avoid the letdown.