Update: This game has been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
The Utah Utes kick off their season more than a week late when they visit the Rose Bowl to take on the UCLA Bruins on Saturday night. The game was moved from Friday to give Utah more time to field a full team after a COVID-19 outbreak that canceled the opener against Arizona. The Bruins (0-1) dropped a 48-42 decision to Colorado in its opener as Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns. The Utes went 11-3 last season but lost critical players on both sides of the ball, and South Carolina transfer Jake Bentley is expected to start at quarterback.
Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET in Pasadena, Calif. The Utes are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Utah vs. UCLA odds at William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 59.5. Before you consider any UCLA vs. Utah picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,900 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is a sizzling 37-20 on top-rated picks through 10 weeks of the 2020 college football season, returning over $900 in profit already. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Utah vs. UCLA. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds from William Hill and trends for UCLA vs. Utah:
- Utah vs. UCLA spread: Utes -2.5
- Utah vs. UCLA over-under: 59.5
- Utah vs. UCLA money line: Utes -135, Bruins +115
- Utah: TE Brant Kuithe averaged 17.7 yards per catch and had six rushes for 102 yards last season
- UCLA: WR Kyle Philips had 60 catches and averaged almost 62 receiving yards per game in 2019
Why Utah can cover
Utah is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 games overall, and the Utes won the Pac-12 South last season. Bentley started 33 games for the Gamecocks across four seasons, completing more than 62 percent of his passes and throwing for 7,527 yards and 55 TDs. He has plenty of pass-catching options, including All-Pac-12 tight end Brant Kuithe, who led the team with 34 receptions for 602 yards and six TDs in 2019. Wideout Bryan Thompson averaged 25.6 yards per catch a season ago.
The Utes are 8-1 ATS in their last nine Pac-12 games, and Devin Brumfield and Jordan Wilmore should get the bulk of the carries at running back. Brumfield is a bruiser who averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season, and Wilmore is a shifty back who can find space. Utah ranked third in FBS last season in total defense, allowing 281.2 yards per game. The unit is young this season, but linebacker Devin Lloyd (team-high 90 tackles in 2019) and end Mika Tafua (three sacks) provide stability and leadership.
Why UCLA can cover
Thompson-Robinson had a big game last week for UCLA, which is 8-9-2 against the spread in Pac-12 games the past two-plus seasons. He had four TD passes, and he had 109 rushing yards and another score to go with his 303 passing yards. Tight end Greg Dulcich made huge plays for the Bruins, catching four passes for 126 yards, including a 52-yard TD. Running back Demetric Felton scored twice, putting up 103 total yards and a team-high seven receptions.
The Bruins are 7-8 ATS over the past two seasons after a loss, and defensive backs Stephan Blaylock and Quentin Lake make plays. Blaylock had a team-high 86 tackles in 2019 and led the team with 11 against the Buffaloes, and Lake had a sack and knocked down a pass. Osa Odighizuwa (three sacks in 2019) had a QB hurry and six tackles last week. Bentley threw 32 interceptions and was sacked 76 times at South Carolina, so opportunities should be there to make plays.
How to make Utah vs. UCLA picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with the model suggesting Thompson-Robinson will fall far short of his opening-week performance and the Utes will struggle to run the ball. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in 70 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UCLA vs. Utah? And which side of the spread cashes in 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Utah vs. UCLA spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $3,900 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
