Stanford owns five consecutive wins in the rivalry with Cal, going 4-1 against the spread. The Cardinal hope to extend that run to six straight and clinch a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game in the process when they host the 95th edition of the Big Game on Saturday out on the Farm.
Point spread: Cardinal opened as 12.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 39.2-32.6 Cardinal
Why the California Golden Bears can cover the spread
The Bears just snapped a four-game losing streak last week and became bowl-eligible for the first time in four seasons with a 54-24 romp over Oregon State, covering 21 points.