A couple of schools that like to run the football, Coach Kyle Whittingham and the No. 23 Utah Utes (-10) are set to take on their Pac-12 counterpart UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. The game gets underway at 10:30 p.m. ET and you can watch the action on ESPN.
Betting Preview: UCLA Bruins vs. Utah Utes
In this Friday Pac-12 game, Utah is getting picked as the big favorite and is currently giving up 10 points. If they want to play the moneyline, bettors would currently have to put down $400 in order to net $100 back on the Utes (-400). The Bruins are getting +300 moneyline odds. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 56. With the spread currently standing at UCLA +10, oddsmakers think that this has the feel of a 23-33 win for the Utes. If one squad can find paydirt early on, it will likely result in a nice live betting scenario.
With the spread opening at 10.5 and the total set initially at 55.5, oddsmakers have shifted this game’s outlook a hair.
The Utes are 4-3 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 2.5 units so far in 2018. The team has posted an O/U record of 3-3.
The Bruins have been a disappointment to moneyline bettors this season, losing 6.2 units. They’re 3-4 ATS and have an O/U record of 3-4.
The Utes have gone 5-2 straight up (SU), including 3-2 SU against conference opponents. The Bruins are 2-5 SU overall and are also 2-2 SU in conference play.
The Utes want to keep things rolling following a 41-28 victory over USC last week where Tyler Huntley completed 22 passes on 29 attempts for 341 yards and four touchdowns. Zack Moss (136 yards on 25 rush attempts) and the signal-caller Huntley (33 yards on 16 carries, one TD) mounted the ground attack. Samson Nacua (five receptions, 55 yards) and Brant Kuithe (four catches, 68 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
The UCLA Bruins are coming off of a 31-30 win over Arizona. The team’s defense allowed the Wildcats to run for 289 yards on 38 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. J.J. Taylor was on a different level for Arizona, putting up 154 rushing yards and a score on 19 attempts. As a group, the Bruins collectively completed 22-of-35 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns. Wilton Speight went 17-for-27 for 204 yards and two touchdowns while Dorian Thompson-Robinson was five-of-eight for 103 yards and one touchdown. Joshua Kelley (136 yards on 31 rush attempts, one TD) mounted the running game while Caleb Wilson (six receptions, 82 yards) and Kelley (four catches, 43 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Utah has run the ball on 58.7 percent of its offensive possessions this year while UCLA has a rush percentage of 56.2 percent. The Utes have produced 187.9 rush yards/game (including 195.8 per game versus Pac-12 opponents) and have 12 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Bruins are averaging 150.4 rush yards per game (165.3 in conference) and have 10 total rushing TDs.
Based on the results so far, the Utes ought to have an edge in terms of RB effectiveness. Their running backs has logged 4.5 yards per carry while their defense is allowing 2.4 YPC to opponents. The Bruins have rushed for 3.9 yards per carry and given up 4.3 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Utes offensive scheme has logged 238.0 yards/contest through the air overall (212.2 per game versus conference opposition) and has 12 passing scores so far. The Bruins have produced 203.6 pass yards per contest (215 in the Pac-12) and have eight total pass TDs.
Defensively, Utah seems to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed opponents to run for an average of 74.6 yards and pass for 211.9 yards per game. The UCLA defense has given up 232.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 192.7 yards per game on the ground. The Utes are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 4.47 to opponents, while the Bruins have allowed a 6.20 ANY/A.
Huntley likely has the edge over Thompson-Robinson in this one, as his adjusted net yards per pass attempt stands at 6.77for the year and 10.93 over the last two outings. Thompson-Robinson’s ANY/A is 5.40 for the season and 8.81 over his past two games.
These two teams met last year with the final outcome being a 48-17 win for Utah.
