Posted on 3/12/2008 7:37:52 PM

NCAA MARCH MADNESS BETTING - CALIFORNIA vs. WASHINGTON

By Charles Jay

BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: CALIFORNIA -2.5, Total 153

Two teams whose best hope for post-season play probably rests in one of the "consolation" tournaments will square off in the first round of Pac 10 tourney action on Wednesday night, when the California Golden Bears (15-14 SU, 14-12 ATS) meet up with the Washington Huskies (16-15 SU, 14-16 ATS) in a game that is scheduled to tip off at 9 PM ET at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, Cal is listed as a 2.5-point favorite, with a total of 153 points.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* CAL has covered four of its last six games

* CAL has lost its last five games SU

* CAL has lost seven of its last eight games SU

* CAL has played 13 of its last 14 games OVER the total

* WASH has covered five of its last six games

* WASH has lost eight of its last 12 games SU

* WASH has played five of its last six games OVER the total

* WASH has won six of the last nine meetings SU

* Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

* WASH has had the shooting edge in eight of the last nine meetings

* CAL has made more three-pointers in three of the last four meetings

There seemed to be high hopes for California at the start of the Pac 10 season when the Bears scored a decisive win over OJ Mayo and the USC Trojans. But things went downhill from there. Cal finished ninth in the conference's regular season standings, have lost five games in a row and are wondering whether coach Ben Braun will even be kept around next season.

Yet there would appear to be some hope, at least for the Bears to get out of the first round here. They put up spirited efforts in the last three; yes, we know one of those was a three-point loss to Washington at home, but then there was a four-point defeat at USC and an 81-80 loss to UCLA in Pauley Pavilion, where Cal burned Ben Howland's smothering defense for 56% shooting. This team has not stopped putting out an effort, and obviously there is the hope that the NIT will come calling. And Devon Hardin, the center who has been battling a hip injury, will see action for the Bears.

Meanwhile, the Huskies are going to likely be without Jon Brockman, their leading scorer and rebounder and outstanding big man who turned an ankle against Washington State. No such problem for Ryan Anderson, who carved up Washington for 33 and 19 points in the two meetings this season.

Cal is healthier, and though it may be a stretch to say they've got momentum, they have, as we mentioned, not given up. We'll lay the points with the Bears, the 2.5-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: CALIFORNIA

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)