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The UCLA Bruins will travel to Louisiana on Saturday to face the LSU Tigers. We'll be at Tiger Stadium, sharing our college football odds series and making a UCLA-LSU prediction and pick.
UCLA fell apart, losing 42-13 to Indiana in their Big Ten Debut. Unfortunately, they were behind from the get-go, trailing 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 at halftime. Quarterback Ethan Garbers went 14 for 23 with 137 yards passing with an interception and seven rushes for 21 yards. Also, T.J. Harden rushed 12 times for 48 yards while catching four passes for 41 yards. Tight end Moliki Matavao had three catches for 32 yards,
The Bruins had 16 first downs while also going 2 for 8 on third-down conversions. Sadly, they only had 238 total yards. UCLA turned the ball over twice and allowed two sacks. The defense also allowed 430 total yards and could not force a sack or a turnover.
LSU defeated South Carolina 36-33 in a game that was too close for anyone. But coach Brian Kelly complimented the team for winning on the road against a tough team. Things started badly for the Tigers as they trailed 17-0 at one point. Ultimately, Garrett Nussmeier led the comeback and Josh Williams finished with a two-yard touchdown run to punch the go-ahead score in.
Nussmeir went 24 for 40 with 285 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. Meanwhile, Caden Durham rushed 11 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Anderson had five catches for 96 yards. Likewise, Kyren Lacy had five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown, while Mason Taylor had six catches for 58 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers went 6 for 14 on third-down conversions and had a staggering 26 first downs. Additionally, they had 417 total yards. Things were a little sloppy as they turned the ball over twice and allowed two sacks. But the defense also caused three turnovers and forced five sacks. Also, they overcame nine penalties.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: UCLA-LSU Odds
UCLA: +24.5 (-124)
Moneyline: +1200
LSU: -24.5 (+102)
Moneyline: -3000
Over: 56.5 (-106)
Under: 56.5 (-114)
How to Watch UCLA vs. LSU
Time: 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT
TV: ABC
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why UCLA Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Bruins are awful right now. Their offense has stumbled since they lost Carson Steele to the NFL. Therefore, this team has many problems, and they must fix them quickly.
Garbers has 409 passing yards with just one touchdown and three interceptions while rushing 14 times for 68 yards. Meanwhile, Harden has rushed 21 times for just 57 yards. Rico Flores Jr. has caught five passes for 133 yards, while Matavao has six catches for 74 yards. This offense needs a lot more, and it starts with their passing game and the ability to protect Garbers.
The defense needs to do better as well. So far, Ramon Hernandez is their best player, with four solo tackles, one interception, and one sack. K.J. Wallace has nine solo tackles and one interception.
The Bruins will cover the spread if the offense can gain some consistency and run the ball efficiently to set up better chances. Then, the defense cannot allow LSU to march down the field.
Why LSU Could Cover The Spread/Win
LSU have some concerns after their narrow win over the Gamecocks. Yet, a win is a win, as most would say. The focus is now on this week, as well as the Bruins.
Nussemeier has passed for 895 yards, 10 touchdowns, and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Durham has rushed 16 times for 102 yards and two scores. Josh Williams has rushed just 23 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Andersson has been the best receiver, catching 15 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown. Likewise, Lacy has 17 receptions for 222 yards and five touchdowns. Taylor has 17 catches for 160 yards.
The defense has been beastly. Bradyn Swinson has eight solo tackles and three sacks, and Sai'von Jones has 10 solo tackles and three sacks. Additionally, Zy Alexander has three solo tackles and one interception.
LSU will cover the spread if they can efficiently run the ball and attack the weak points in UCLA's defense. Then, they need to continue pressuring the quarterback and force Garbers into making some mistakes.
Final UCLA-LSU Prediction & Pick
UCLA is 0-2 against the spread, while LSU is 0-3. Additionally, the Bruins are o-1 against the spread on the road, while the Tigers are 0-1 at home. Neither team has covered the spread. But the Bruins have looked absolutely horrible. Unfortunately, this program looks like they are on a collision course with one of their worst seasons historically. LSU still looks like they can make some waves, even when they could have easily been 1-2. We like the Tigers to blow the Bruins out of the water and cover the spread at home.
Final UCLA-LSU Prediction & Pick: LSU -24.5 (+102)
