Rogers' 10* NCAAB Game of the Day >> 3-1 NCAA Saturday!
(NCAAB) Colorado vs. California,
Point Spread: -6.50 | -106.00 California (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: Colorado (13-10 . 3-7 Pac 12) opened Pac 12 play 0-7 but has won three in a row, as it visits Berkeley on Sunday afternoon to take on the 16-6 Cal Bears (7-3 in Pac 12 play).
Colorado: Tad Boyle entered this season at Colorado (his sixth), having won 20-plus games in four of his first five years with the Buffs. He had led Colorado to an NCAA berth in each of his 20-win seasons, including last year's team which finished with 22 victories. However, the Buffs lost four starters from that club and Colorado was pretty much an afterthought after it opened 0-7 in conference play, to fall to 10-10. However, the Buffs beat Oregon State and then-No. 10 Oregon at home last weekend, followed by Thursday's win at Stanford and all of a sudden, there are whispers that the Buffs are a team "no one wants to face!" eteam is led by three "big guards," the 6-5 White (16.4 & 4.3), the 6-7 Johnson (15.2 & 6.1) and the 6-6 King (11.4 & 7.0).

California: Cuonzo Martin has a talented but somewhat inconsistent team in Cal, led by the 6-11 Rabb, who averages 15.5 & 10.9. Swingman Bird has battled injuries for much of his career and before this season, has not come anywhere near reaching the potential he arrived with as a freshman. Bird (now a senior) has averaged 19.0 PPG over his last four (the last three have been Cal wins) and on the season, he's scoring at a clip of 14.8 PPG, while adding 4.7 RPG. Freshman PG Charlie Moore (14.0 & 3.6 APG) gives the team three double digit scorers but Martin would love more regular contributions from guard Mullins (9.2) and the 7-0 Okoroh (5.6 & 6.4).

The pick: Maybe we should have seen Colorado's turnaround coming, as the Buffs lost four of their first seven Pac-12 games by just three points or fewer. Still, winning here at Cal is a tough assignment, as the Bears rank 19th in both points allowed (63.0 PPG) and opponents' FG percentage (39.5%). The Bears are 13-2 SU at home where they allowing just 59.9 PPG and a check of the Cal record book reveals that the Bears are 11-0 against the Buffaloes in Berkeley. Cal is a 10* play.