Vegas Big Ten Predictions
California at Northwestern
Line: Northwestern by 11
Betsided
This is a game between two teams looking to get back on track. The Northwestern Wildcats are looking for a bounce back season under Pat Fitzgerald, and this year they’ll be looking to turn some of those close losses into wins. A 5-7 season could have been a 9-win season with a little more luck, and the Wildcats have lots of returning starters to make that happen this year. It will have to start with a convincing victory against Cal. Without that, the team’s confidence could be shot, and they could stumble to something worse than a 5-7 season. It wouldn’t be the first time Northwestern has come up short of expectations.
FanSided
Cal, meanwhile, fell off worse without Jeff Tedford than they ever did with him. Sonny Dykes’s 1-11 season was as disastrous as it looked on paper, and this year he’ll be looking to prove he’s building something. With lots of returning starters everywhere, there is a chance for that to happen, and an opening win against Northwestern would do wonders for the team’s confidence, but it will be very tough.
Prediction
Both teams should be better this year, and Cal will give Northwestern a very tough game. But by the time the fourth quarter rolls around, the Wildcats will pull away and win by double-digits. It will be interesting for a while, though.