Arizona State at Cal

Time: 9:30 PM CST, Friday

Spread: CAL -4.5

Total: 40

Odds c/o 5dimes

The Cal Golden Bears are ranked No. 15 in AP Polls after winning its first four games. It knocked off UC-Davis, then-No. 14 Washington, North Texas, and Ole Miss. This week it hosts the Arizona State Sun Devils as 4.5-point favorites at 9:30 PM Friday on ESPN. The betting total is set at 40 points according to NCAA Football oddsmakers at 5dimes.

CAL

Cal has been on fire thus far in 2019, but it still has three matchups with AP Ranked opponents and the toughest stretch of its schedule yet to come. The win over Washington was impressive, but it occurred by just one-point. The Bears are hoping to have more definitive victories ahead.  Chase Garbers has not been a model of accuracy, but he sure has thrown the football plenty. Through four games he is 59 of 103 (57.3 percent), but he averages better than eight yards per pass and has seven TDs (with two picks). Garbers also is No. 3 in rushing yardage with 133 yards on 50 carries, though he is good for just 2.7 per.

Lead running back Christopher Brown Jr. has 335 yards and two TDs on his 73 attempts. Marcel Dansy ranks No. 2 in yardage with 179 yards on 35 carries and two TDs. Garbers has not rushed for a touchdown despite his 50 attempts carrying the football. The wealth at wide receiver has been fairly spread out with three players having nine catches or better on the year. Kekoa Crawford, Nikko Remigio, and Jordan Duncan represent those three options.

Tight end Jake Tonges is a fourth target, ranking low in total catches (just four) but No. 4 in receiving yards with 119. Kicker Greg Thomas has been superb, having connected on all 11 of his PATs and having gone 7 of 8 on field goals, with his lone miss coming from 40-plus yards where he is still 3 of 4 on the season.

AZ ST.

Arizona State is 3-1 this season after winning weeks 1 through 3, but suffering a 31-34 loss to Colorado last week. It has already defeated then-No. 18 Michigan State in Week 3, by a 10-7 count. The Sun Devils are typically a tremendous defensive team, having allowed just seven points per game through its first three, but it gave up 34 points to Colorado last week and its offense was unable to catch up in the loss.

The Sun Devils’ quarterback Jayden Daniels has been sensational. He has already topped 1,000 yards on the season at a 61.2 percent clip with five TDs and one interception. His passer rating stands at 151.4. Concerning, however, is that he has already been sacked 11 times for a total loss of 44-yards.

Eno Benjamin leads the team in rushing yards with 292 on 77 tries but he averages just 3.8 yards-per-carry. Benjamin has three touchdowns of the team’s four total, with Daniels having rushed for the fourth. Daniels averages just 2.5 yards-per-carry but has 91 yards on his 36 tries. No other backfield options are all that relevant, with Isaiah Floyd having 47 yards on 11 tries, but nothing else to speak of.

The wide receivers are led by No. 1 option Brandon Aiyuk. He has 424 yards on 22 catches with two touchdowns. Benjamin has been good out of the backfield with 11 catches for 137 yards and a tying-team-best two TDs, as well. Frank Darby ranks No. 2 in receiving yards with 156, despite having just seven catches. The Sun Devils rarely option the tight end position as a receiver, with just one catch having come from Nolan Matthews.

ATS TRENDS (C/O Covers):