UCLA vs. Arizona Spread Prediction
The UCLA Bruins continue to improve every week but they’re in an unfamiliar spot Saturday night: A large home favorite. Will they cover against the Arizona Wildcats tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot
365 Arizona Wildcats at 366 UCLA Bruins
10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 20, 2018
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Bruins are 10-point favorites to beat the Wildcats. The total, meanwhile, sits at 56 points. As of this writing, 61% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Wildcats.
Arizona Wildcats
Arizona sophomore QB Rhett Rodriguez will start in place of junior Khalil Tate (ankle) against UCLA on Saturday. The Wildcats are finally opting to sit Tate, who has been limited by a left ankle injury since the second week of the campaign. Rodriguez came on for the injured junior early in last Friday’s loss to Utah and went on to complete 20-of-38 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown. This upcoming start will be the first of the former three-star recruit’s career. Rodriguez is the son of former Arizona HC Rich Rodriguez.
UCLA Bruins
UCLA freshman QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 13-of-15 passes for 141 yards in a 37-7 blowout victory over Cal on Saturday. Thompson-Robinson had no ill-effects from his nasty cut suffered during the loss to Washington, and he played his most complete game. Unsurprisingly, it led to the first victory of the year. The talented dual-threat quarterback didn’t run much, but he did pick up 27 yards on the ground. Get your licks in on UCLA now; there’s a ton of young talent on this roster. UCLA will have a chance for a second win next Saturday against UCLA.
Betting Trends
Arizona
The Wildcats are 2-5 against the spread in their last road games versus UCLA and are 1-5 against the number in their last six games versus the Bruins overall.
UCLA
The home team is 11-4 against the spread in the last 15 meetings between these two teams and the favorite is 9-2 against the number in the last 11 meetings.
Prediction
The Wildcats are really struggling and will not have Khalil Tate tonight (not that he has played well under Kevin Sumlin). The ‘Cats are 5-16 against the spread in their last 21 road games, are 2-8 against the number in their last 10 road games versus an opponent with a losing home record, and are winless in their last five games at the betting window after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game. I know UCLA is young and inexperienced but as previously noted, the Bruins continue to improve weekly and I like them to explode tonight.
College Football Prediction: UCLA Bruins -10