Friday night football features an East Coast vs. West Coast battle. One team will be looking to start the second half of its season on a positive note, with the other looking to secure bowl eligibility already.
Here are the three best California vs Virginia Tech player props for Saturday, October 25. Be sure to also check out our full Cal vs. Virginia Tech predictions!
Cal vs Virginia Tech props for Week 9
Drones o33.5 rushing yards (-114)
Grizzell o52.5 receiving yards (-114)- Drones u194.5 passing yards (-114)
Prop bet #1: Kyron Drones Over 33.5 rushing yards
This feels undervalued. The Virginia Tech Hokies’ offense has struggled to find balance or efficiency, but its one clear strength is on the ground.
It’s surprising VT sits at 2-5 considering how effective its rushing attack has been. The Hokies rank 16th nationally in EPA per rush, and senior quarterback Kyron Drones has been the engine driving that success.
Drones has recorded double-digit carries in three straight games and has cleared this rushing line in back-to-back outings. There’s no reason to expect a decrease in workload here.
Cal’s defensive front is one of the more exploitable units in this matchup, ranking 88th in EPA per dropback and in the Bottom 40th percentile nationally in line yards allowed. That weakness aligns perfectly with Virginia Tech’s offensive strength.
Given Drones’ steady rushing volume and the favorable matchup in the trenches, this number looks too low.
Prop bet #2: Trond Grizzell Over 52.5 receiving yards
Cal’s passing attack hasn’t been great this season, but it’s at least been efficient... which is more than you can say for the other side. This Virginia Tech secondary is the worst unit on either side of the ball, and the numbers show it plainly.
The Hokies rank 134th nationally in EPA allowed per pass, sit in the Bottom 10th percentile nationally in pass explosiveness allowed, and aren’t creating much havoc up front to pressure the quarterback.
This makes a spot like this appealing, especially with the Bears likely to be trailing for long stretches and forced to chase points.
Trond Grizzell is the most well-rounded receiver for Cal, leading the team in yards per catch and consistently backing that up on film.
He’s already exceeded this total in every game he’s played this season except one. It’s hard to understand why this number hasn’t been adjusted, given his production and the matchup, but we’ll take it.
Prop bet #3: Kyron Drones Under 194.5 passing yards
This goes in line with my rushing play on Drones, and I think it’s quite correlated. Let’s start with the matchup: The Golden Bears’ secondary has been impressive.
Coming into this game, Cal’s pass defense ranks as one of the better units in the ACC. It grades out 23rd overall in EPA per dropback when adjusted for opponent quality and has done an excellent job limiting explosive plays, unlike its opponent.
At first glance, that makes this play appealing. Drones have never been a particularly prolific passer and has typically relied more on checkdowns than deep shots.
Considering there will likely be several opportunities for him to pick up easy yardage on the ground, I’m not sure he’ll have the passing volume needed to exceed this number.
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