The Stanford Cardinal (-4.5) and Ucla Bruins will go head-to-head on the grass of Rose Bowl. This afternoon game is scheduled to kick off at 3:00 p.m. ET and interested parties can catch the action live on Pac-12 Networks.
Betting Preview: Stanford Cardinal vs. UCLA Bruins
In this Saturday Pac-12 game, Stanford is getting picked as the favorite and is currently giving up 4.5 points. In order to take the favorite, moneyline bettors would currently need to wager $200 to win $100 back on the Cardinal (-200). The Bruins are getting +170 moneyline odds. Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 56 points. If the favorites fall behind in the early stages, it would probably result in a worthwhile in-game betting opportunity.
Early action has shifted toward the Bruins, as the line opened at 7. The O/U has not changed after being set initially at 56.
The Cardinal are 6-4 against the spread (ATS) and are down 1.3 units this season. The team has posted an O/U record of 6-3.
The Bruins have been a disappointment to moneyline bettors in 2018, losing 7.8 units. They’re 5-6 ATS and have an O/U record of 5-6.
The Cardinal are 6-4 straight up (SU), including 4-3 SU against conference opponents. The Bruins are 3-8 SU overall and 3-5 SU in conference play.
The Cardinal are coming off a resounding 48-17 victory over Oregon State on November 10 where K.J. Costello completed 23 passes for 342 yards, four scores and one interception. Bryce Love (90 rushing yards on 11 attempts, one TD) mounted the ground attack in the win while Trenton Irwin (six receptions, 70 yards) and Colby Parkinson (six catches, 166 yards, four TDs) manned the receiving duties.
UCLA just earned a 34-27 win over USC. The defense allowed the Trojans to pass for 337 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 112 yards. Michael Pittman Jr. had a good showing in the defeat for USC, recording 106 yards on seven catches. For UCLA, Wilton Speight completed 13-of-22 passes for 166 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Joshua Kelley (289 rushing yards on 40 attempts, two TDs) mounted the ground attack in the win while Theo Howard (five receptions, 76 yards, one TD) and Caleb Wilson (four catches, 63 yards) led the pass-catching corps.
Stanford has run the ball on 45.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while UCLA has an overall rush percentage of 53.8 percent. The Cardinal have produced 108.2 rush yards/game (including 120.0 per game against Pac-12 opponents) and have 12 touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Bruins are logging 163.3 rushing yards per game (175.5 in conference) and have 16 total rush TDs.
If 2018 numbers can translate to this game, then it’s looking like the Cardinal ought to have the advantage when it comes to applying pressure, since their offensive line has given up only 17 sacks while the D-line logged 32 sacks. The Bruins O-line has given up 29 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing QBs on just 22 occasions.
The Cardinal offensive scheme has logged 286.4 yards per contest through the air overall (306.3 per game versus conference opposition) and has 23 passing TDs so far. The Bruins have produced 217.0 pass yards per game (228 against Pac-12 foes) and have 13 total pass scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, Stanford has allowed 147.4 rush yards and 263.3 pass yards per game. The UCLA defense has allowed 236.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 206.1 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to opponents, as the Cardinal have given up an ANY/A of 6.26 to opposing QBs, while the Bruins are yielding an ANY/A of 6.70.
Offensively, Costello is up to 2,507 passing yards on the year, and has connected on 67 percent of his 287 attempts with 21 passing scores and seven interceptions. He’s got a pristine 8.32 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 8.05 over the last two outings.
Colby Parkinson (331 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns on the year), Bryce Love (509 rush yards, four rush TDs) and Kaden Smith (528 receiving yards, one TD) have all played significant roles recently.
Wilton Speight has managed to complete 71-of-126 passes for 726 yards, four TDs and four INTs for UCLA. His ANY/A sits at a less-than-ideal 4.51 for the year and 7.43 over his last two outings.
We also expect the UCLA offense to mix things up this Saturday. Joshua Kelley, Caleb Wilson and Theo Howard have combined for 733 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns as a trio the last couple of games.
When these two teams faced each other last year, Stanford won easily 58-34.
Stanford Cardinal at UCLA Bruins Free Prediction
SU Winner: UCLA, ATS Winner: UCLA, O/U: Under
Team Betting Trends
- UCLA has lost six fumbles this season while Stanford has lost three.
- The Stanford defensive unit has 25 sacks on the year while UCLA has just 15.
- As a team, Stanford has averaged 5.8 yards per carry over its last three games and 6.1 over its last two.
- UCLA has averaged 5.2 yards per carry over its last three outings and 5.1 over its past two.
- In its last three matches, UCLA is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- The O/U for Stanford’s previous game was set at 61.5. The over cashed in the team’s 48-17 win over Oregon State.
- In its last three matchups, Stanford is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
- The Over/Under for UCLA’s previous match was set at 55. The over cashed in the 34-27 victory over USC.
