UCLA BYU Odds

UCLA travels to BYU for one of the most intriguing matchups this Saturday as the two teams matched up twice last season for a pair of very exciting games. JustBet oddsmakers have listed the as 8-point favorites at home in this contest. Jimmy Boyd’s UCLA/BYU preview will provide further insight on college football betting for the big game.

BYU’s wins have not been as comfortable as they would like lately. The Cougars beat the Bruins on a blocked kick in a bowl game last season and last week they needed a blocked kick to beat another Pac-10 opponent.

BYU’s 28-27 victory at Washington last Saturday came in thrilling fashion and could not avoid a little controversy. Washington QB Jake Locker picked up a questionable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when celebrating a touchdown run in the closing seconds. The Cougars then blocked the 35-yard extra point try to win the game. Nevertheless, as it stands the Cougars secured their 12th straight win to extend the longest active win streak in the country.

UCLA certainly remembers just how effective the Cougars have been in special teams play. UCLA had a chance to win last year’s Las Vegas Bowl with a 28-yard chip shot in the final seconds, but BYU blocked it to snap UCLA’s seven game winning streak against the Cougars.

Ironically, the Bruins has ended BYU’s 11-game overall winning streak with a 27-17 win at home last September. This one will be the rubber match.

The BYU Cougars have won 24 of their last 28 games overall, including 14 in a row at home. Last week’s win at Washington was BYU’s fourth win in five games against the Pac-10 conference.

Junior QB Max Hall has been as good as advertised in the early going. He threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns last week. So far this season, junior tight end Dennis Pitta has been his main man. Pitta has been on the receiving end of Hall passes 21 times for 361 yards in the early going.

In two matchups with UCLA last season, Hall threw for 622 yards and added four touchdowns against just one interception. If you like the Cougars to win the “rubber match”, bet them at -7.5 at Bookmaker Sportsbook.

Head Coach Rick Neuheisel’s team has already experienced the thrill of pulling off an upset this season. They defeated the 18th ranked Tennessee Volunteers 27-24 in overtime on September 1. Kai Forbath, who had his field goal attempt blocked by BYU in last season’s Las Vegas Bowl, drilled a 42-yard field goal to give the Bruins the win.

If UCLA wants to pull off another upset, they are going to need better QB play. QB Kevin Craft threw four first half interceptions. When he finally settled down, he looked pretty good, going 15 for 25 for 193 yards and a score after halftime. The win catapulted the Bruins into the top 25 momentarily, but fell out after a bye week.

UCLA is also going to have to be much better on the road than they have been. The Bruins have lost 10 of their last 13 road games. There last trip to Utah was one to forget too. Another Mountain West Conference team, the Utah Utes, clubbed the Bruins 44-6 last season. Bet UCLA to cover the spread at +8 at BetUS.