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The Cal Poly Mustangs take on the Washington Huskies. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Cal Poly Washington prediction and pick.
The Washington Huskies have had some good moments this season. They beat Saint Mary's — a team expected before the season to make the NCAA Tournament — and they handled Seattle University, an in-city rival which is a contender for the Western Athletic Conference championship. Washington also defeated Colorado in a battle of Pac-12 teams which might be on the NCAA Tournament bubble in February and early March. Those are notable wins for the Huskies, who have endured a lot of ups and downs this season.
Washington's recent wins over good teams might rate as a surprise to some, since the Huskies did not start the season on the right foot. They lost at home to California Baptist, the kind of opponent any power conference bubble team needs to be able to take care of. When Washington lost to Cal Baptist, it was easy to think the worst about this team and what it would become. However, the wins over Saint Mary's and Colorado in particular have allayed the Huskies' worst fears. That said, it's not as though this season is going exactly according to plan.
Washington lost to Gonzaga this past Friday. That wasn't terribly surprising. However, the Huskies lost a week ago to Oregon State, a team which is likely to finish in the bottom third of the Pac-12. That particular setback could haunt Washington on Selection Sunday if the Huskies are immersed in a bubble team discussion. What that loss to Oregon State means, very simply, is that the Huskies can't lose other games to teams they are expected to beat. Cal Poly fits the profile.
Cal Poly isn't a bad team, but we can't necessarily say that the Mustangs are a good team, either. They're 5-3 through their first eight games. Notably, Cal Poly defeated the same California Baptist team which defeated Washington. The Mustangs are going to watch Cal Baptist-Washington game film and see if they can find a way past the Huskies in Seattle. However, Cal Poly got crushed by a not-very-good Stanford team. The Mustangs lost to the Cardinal by 37 points. They also lost to Mount Saint Mary's. It is hard to gauge how Cal Poly's collection of results will affect the nature of this upcoming matchup against Washington.
Here are the Cal Poly-Washington NCAA Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Cal Poly-Washington Odds
Cal Poly Mustangs: +12.5 (-110)
Washington Huskies: -12.5 (-110)
Over: 128.5 (-115)
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Under: 128.5 (-105)
Why Cal Poly Could Cover the Spread
The Washington Huskies have been a very inconsistent team so far this season, having a mixture of good and bad moments. If the Huskies can't really be trusted, that is a commentary in and of itself. What is probably an even better and more central reason to pick Cal Poly is that the Mustangs comfortably defeated California Baptist, 64-53. Cal Baptist beat Washington comfortably in Seattle earlier this season, 73-64. That's a 20-point difference in margins of victory and defeat. Cal Baptist is getting over a dozen points relative to the spread. The Mustangs can very easily cover.
Why Washington Could Cover the Spread
Washington is a much, much better team than the group which lost to Cal Baptist. Cal Poly lost to Stanford by 37, and Washington is a better team than Stanford.
Final Cal Poly-Washington Prediction & Pick
Washington's inconsistency is a good reason to stay away from this game. If you absolutely insist on a pick, lean Washington, but really, you shouldn't pick this game.
Final Cal Poly-Washington Prediction & Pick: Washington -12.5
