Cal is 12.5 to 13.5 point underdogs at Auburn

The line could continue to rise.

After a fairly average and uninteresting performance against their FCS opponent, the California Golden Bears take to the road to face the Auburn Tigers. And as expected after such a performance, the line is titled heavily toward the SEC squad.

The original line was situated at around 9.5 to 10.5 points, but has risen since to 12.5 to 13.5 points, depending on which sportsbook you look at. The over under has situated at around 52.5 to 53.5 points.

Cal and Auburn played last year in Berkeley, to the tune of a 14-10 standstill defeat for the Bears. Both teams ended up finishing 6-6 in the regular season, but Auburn did have a stronger summer in recruiting and the portal.

The Tigers took that offseason momentum and trashed a beyond overmatched Alabama A&M squad last weekend to the score of 73-3. Auburn was up 52-3 at halftime, averaged 16 yards per pass and 10 yards per rush, and played mercy rule 10 minute running clocks in the second half.

To be fair, Auburn was similarly dominant in their home debut last season vs. UMass, then ended up in a rock fight in Berkeley the following week. But the Tigers definitely have the more raw talent, far fewer injury concerns, and a substantive homefield advantage.

Still, it is Auburn, the most chaotic team in college football that is capable of playing to the level of any opponent they face, whether it be New Mexico State or Alabama.

While they have often covered the spread in these ones, Cal has lost its last 11 games as double-digit underdogs, with their last win being the 2019 UW Lightning Bowl. Cal has also lost its last 13 road trips outside the state of California, but the good news is the last win came against their last SEC opponent in Ole Miss.

Regardless, A hard road lies ahead.