If there is one thing that every team strives for each year, it has to be consistency. The teams who pay well week in and week out tend to be the ones who are still in the playoff conversation at the end of the season, while those who struggle often end up having to settle for a lesser bowl game, or nothing at all. The 6-1 Utah Utes have had that consistency, starting out the year with 4 straight wins, and then bouncing back with consecutive wins after taking their first loss of the season. This weekend will see the Utes head to sunny California to face a UCLA Bruins team that has been taking one step forward and two steps back all season long. It has been a frustrating year for the Bruins, and it could get worse this weekend against a team that they have historically struggled against. Utah has an 11-3 record in their lifetime series with UCLA, and will be looking to pad those stats when they head into the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Find the latest betting odds here.
In Depth Analysis On The Utes At Bruins College Football Expert Predictions
When: Saturday, October 22 at 4 PM EST
Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports GO
NCAAF Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Utah Utes
While the Utes are an impressive 6-1 on the season, they are not a team without some issues. The biggest of their problems seems to be at the QB position, and that was highlighted in the last game against Oregon State. The Utah Utes came away with a 19-14 win, but they did so with only 42 total yards through the air. They gave up on the passing game pretty early in that one, and they can afford to do so because of their ability to run the ball. They will be going against a UCLA run defense that has been much hit and miss this season, and you feel that if they get the Bruins on a bad day, they might well be able to run that ball up and down the field with relative ease.
Why bet on the UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are likely to be without starting QB Josh Rosen for the second straight week, as it looks as though his shoulder injury might keep him out once again. Mike Fafaul did a decent job filling against Washington State last week, but he also needs some help from the running game, which doesn’t look very likely. The Bruins have routinely struggled to move the ball on the ground all season long, and they are going to have to do a better job of protecting the football against a defense that loves to cause turnovers. If they cannot get the ball moving on the ground this could turn into a long afternoon for the Bruins.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
It was the Utes who came away with the 30-28 win against UCLA the last time they visited the Rose Bowl. I think they win again, but by a bigger margin, especially if Rosen is not able to start under center for UCLA.
