The Utah Utes will travel to Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA for a top-25 matchup against the UCLA Bruins. This is an extremely important game for the Pac-12 standings, as both teams are 2-0 in conference play. They’re a combined 9-1 overall as well, with Utah featuring the only loss.
Utah lost its season opener to the Florida Gators by three points while throwing an interception in the end-zone late in the game. They haven’t played a close game since, easily beating their next four opponents, although it hasn’t been an overly difficult schedule. UCLA enters this game with a 5-0 record, although they’ve had some scares. They’ve won easy games while playing closer against South Alabama and Washington.
In this article, I’ll break down the odds for this game, and you’ll find my favorite Utah vs. UCLA predictions.
Utah vs. UCLA Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | -4 (-110) | -175 | O 64.5 (-110) |
| @ UCLA | +4 (-110) | +150 | U 64.5 (-110) |
Odds via BetFred Sportsbook as of 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 5.
Game Info
- Date: Friday, Oct. 8
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
- TV: FOX
Utah vs. UCLA Trends
Let’s take a look at some relevant betting trends for the Utah vs. UCLA game:
- Utah owns a 4-1 ATS record this season.
- UCLA enters this game with a 3-2 ATS record.
- As of Tuesday afternoon, 62% of the bets and 79% of the handle were on Utah -4 spread.
- DraftKings also reports that 70% of the bets and 85% of the handle is on over 655 points.
- Utah brings a 3-2 over/under record into this game.
- UCLA boasts a 4-1 over/under record in 2022.
Rushing Offenses
Both of these teams rely heavily on their run games for offensive success. Utah currently ranks 27th in the NCAA with 192.8 rushing yards per game. UCLA ranks 18th (211.5) in the same category. A lot of this success is because of their quarterbacks having elite rushing potential.
RB Tavion Thomas is Utah’s leader of the run game, and he’s the clear top option. Fellow running backs Jaylon Glover and Micah Bernard are two players that mix in throughout the game as well. QB Cameron Rising isn’t necessarily a focal point of the run game, but he’s averaging 8.2 yards per carry this season.
This Cameron Rising rushing TD was filthy😵💫 #CFB pic.twitter.com/i7034EPyt9
— College Football (@elitecfbnow) October 4, 2022
The key is Rising also comes with plenty of passing potential. He’s thrown for 13 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions on 139 attempts this season. Utah being able to use his arm off of the run makes their offense extremely difficult to defend.
Oddly enough, UCLA has nearly an identical situation in their offense. Zach Charbonnet is clearly their top running back, as he’s one of the best in the nation. Keegan Jones and TJ Harden mix in behind him. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a massive part of their run game, leading the team with 7.2 yards per carry.
Thompson-Robinson’s taken steps forward as a passer this season. He’s thrown 11 touchdowns and only 1 interception on 140 attempts in 2022. Similar to Rising, his versatility makes UCLA such a difficult offense to prepare for.
Look Ahead vs. Gauntlet
Situations are one of the biggest factors in the NCAA. It’s one reason why Utah’s loss to Florida won’t be held against them. They traveled across the country to a hostile environment. That won’t be the case this week, though.
Instead, Utah is certainly in a look-ahead spot this week. Although the matchup against UCLA is important, they’ll face off against USC, which is a much more important game next week.
The key here is that Utah came prepared for their game against Florida, even if they lost. They also didn’t look ahead to this UCLA game last week when they beat Oregon State by 26 points. This is a veteran team, and I don’t expect them to look past anyone on their schedule, especially a top-25 opponent.
On the other side, UCLA played a tight game against Washington last week. They’ll now face off against Utah on Saturday, followed by Oregon in their next game. Granted, the game against Oregon is after a bye week, but it’s three consecutive top-25 matchups for UCLA.
Similar to Utah, they’re an experienced team, and I don’t expect it to matter all that much.
Utah vs. UCLA Predictions
The death kiss in betting college football is short favorites on the road, but I’m taking the shot this week. I’m expecting Utah to make the College Football Playoffs, and this is nearly a must-win game if that’s going to be the case.
I’m also siding with the over, as I believe both of these offenses are going to be too versatile for either defense to completely shut down. UCLA will also force Utah to play at a faster pace, giving both offenses more opportunities.
Pick 1: Utah -3.5 | -107 at PointsBet
Pick 2: Utah/UCLA Over 64.5 | -107 at PointsBet