Oklahoma vs. UCLA Spread Prediction
The Chip Kelly era got off to a rough start last week for UCLA as the Bruins lost at home to Cincinnati. While the Bruins likely won’t rebound with a win on Saturday, will they at least cover the large point spread when they visit the Oklahoma Sooners at 1:00 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot
331 UCLA Bruins vs. 332 Oklahoma Sooners
1:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 8, 2018
Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Sooners are 29.5-point favorites to beat the Bruins. The total, meanwhile, sits at 64.5 points. As of this writing, 62% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Bruins.
UCLA Bruins
The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussato says it’s “looking more likely” that UCLA freshman QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson start on Saturday against Oklahoma. Starting QB Wilton Speight, injured last week against Cincinnati, threw during warmups on Wednesday, but he didn’t participate in drills, fueling speculation that he’ll miss Saturday’s date with the Sooners. Thompson-Robinson, who completed 15-of-25 passes for 117 yards in the 26-17 loss to Cincinnati, will get the start if Speight can’t go.
Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma redshirt sophomore QB Austin Kendall (leg) is expected to miss Saturday’s game against UCLA. Kendall (6’2/219) sustained a leg injury during this past weekend’s win over FAU. The team will rest him up versus the Bruins, but so long as Kyler Murray can keep from joining him among the walking wounded, his absence doesn’t figure to have any tangible impact come Saturday. Should Murray be forced out injured — or more probably, should Murray rest in the second half of what’s a probable blowout — HC Lincoln Riley would call upon one of Tanner Schafer or Tanner Mordecai.
Betting Trends
UCLA
The Bruins are 3-12-1 against the spread in their last 16 non-conference games.
Oklahoma
The Sooners have covered the spread in 12 of their last 14 home games.
Prediction
I understand why over 60% of the betting tickets are on Kelly’s Bruins. Public bettors feel as though that’s way too many points to lay against a Power-5 team with a head coach that has had plenty of success at the college level. That said, this UCLA team is mostly comprised of underclassman and will be starting a frosh under center in a hostile environment. Oklahoma scored at will last week against Florida Atlantic and should do so again today against an inexperienced UCLA defense. Seeing as how Lane Kiffin’s Owls couldn’t move the ball much a week ago in Norman, I don’t expect Thompson-Robinson to do so today.
College Football Week 2 Prediction: Oklahoma Sooners -29.5