Pac-12 hoops will be the name of the game in this hotly contested matchup as the Washington Huskies make the business trip to Berkeley to take on the California Golden Bears. Feel free to join us for our college basketball odds series where our Washington-California prediction and pick will be revealed.

With only one road win on the season thus far, the Huskies certainly would love to get the monkey off their backs against a Cal team who sits in dead-last of the conference. Nevertheless, winning on the road in college basketball is never easy, but UW has embarked on a two-game winning streak and is primed to make it three consecutive wins.

One look at California's record and many of our viewers may start feeling queasy on the spot, as the Golden Bears own a horrendous 3-24 record on the season and have only come away with a pair of conference victories on the year. Still, Cal is trying to play for pride the rest of the way out and will be looking for any positives to take away in order to snap their eleven-game losing streak.

Here are the Washington-California college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Washington-California Odds

Washington: -8.5 (-102)

California: +8.5 (-120)

Over: 129.5 (-110)

Under: 129.5 (-110)

How To Watch Washington vs. California

TV: Pac-12 Network

Stream: Pac-12 App

Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Washington Could Cover The Spread

Other than the fact that Washington will need to avoid playing down to their completion, having a repeat of playing timely defense and coming away with good looks offensively as they did against the Oregon schools will go a long way in the chances of the Huskies finding a way to cover on the road. Like previously mentioned, the thorn in the side of UW this season has been their sluggish play when out on the road.

Without a doubt, this is a roster that does not boast any eye-popping numbers statistically, but they have at least logged a 16-11 record ATS this season and have been largely effective in that department for the most part. In order for the Huskies to stop being their own worst enemies when serving as the visiting team, they must learn to avoid embarking on disastrous shooting spells that ultimately set them back throughout the entire game.

During the last road game they played up in Pullman versus Washington State, the Huskies shot a sickening 33% from the floor including a 22% mark from three-point range. While there is a slim chance that even as bad of a shooting performance as this could be enough to topple the Golden Bears on Thursday, not turning the ball over and securing high-percentage looks from the floor will be critical.

Not to mention, this team's biggest strength happens to come in the form of their rebounding prowess. With their second-most rebounds per game in the conference at 37.9, the Huskies' main calling card will be to play physically against a smaller lineup like the one that Cal possesses.

Why California Could Cover The Spread

Believe it or not, I think it is safe to say that California is one of and if not the worst college basketball teams in America, but they have to be due sooner or later right? During the span of their eleven-straight losses on the hardwood, the Golden Bears have been plagued with woeful shooting, boneheaded turnovers, lazy defense, and even has been the victim of getting out-coached most of the time. Yes, these are some gloomy times in and around the basketball program, but bettors who are willing to take a chance on California covering still deserve to have something to look forward to.

To begin, the best chance that the Golden Bears have in this one falls on the shoulders of their top scorer in forward Lars Thiemann. Even though Cal's best option offensively is only scoring 9.8 PPG, he will need to be the go-to man with the ball in his hands especially since the Golden Bears lack depth severely in their starting lineup and even off the bench.

Although they rank near the bottom of the Pac-12 in almost every single statistic, be on the lookout for California to attack Washington from the charity stripe as they are converting on 72% of their free throws on the season which is good enough for a top-four spot in the conference. If the Golden Bears can avoid settling for low-percentage jumpers and instead be aggressive by attacking the rim and causing the Huskies to get in foul trouble, then we may indeed have a ballgame on our hands.

Final Washington-California Prediction & Pick

Despite California owning one of the longest losing streaks in the nation, asking Washington to cover by at least 8.5 points seems like a lot especially since they are a combined 1-8 on the road this year. While Cal may not win, they should do just enough to cover.

Final Washington-California Prediction & Pick: California +8.5 (-120)