Both the Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins got smashed on the road in conference play last week, so each is likely to bring a better semblance of themselves to the gridiron on Saturday afternoon. Daunting schedules remain for both squads making a shot at going bowling look ominous at best. The Ducks could have a leg up in that fight having taken six straight from the Bruins dating back to 2008, and winning five of its last six trips to the Rose Bowl.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 8 game is set for Saturday, October 21, 2017, at 4 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl. This game will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Ducks +6.5
Bruins -6.5
O/U 71
Odds Analysis
This matchup is certainly on the radar of those that pay attention to reverse line movement. UCLA originally opened up as 6.5-point home favorites, but has since moved up to 7-point chalk regardless of the fact that nearly 66 percent of the betting handle is riding the visiting Ducks. UCLA has only covered one game as a favorite to date, that coming in a 56-23 pounding of Hawaii as 24-point favorites. A full touchdown is likely the top of the market for the Bruins.
As bad as both defenses were last week, it’s surprising to see the total crashing down to 67 after opening above 70. No reverse line movement there however with over 66 percent of the betting handle expecting these clubs to play to a low scorer. Oregon’s struggling offense has scored 17 points total since Justin Herbert went down. Maybe UCLA’s sieve of a defense has finally found its match?
Matchup to Watch
UCLA has had very limited success running the pigskin evidenced by being ranked No. 104 in rushing offense. Oregon likely won’t have any issues stopping that aspect of the Bruins attack with it conceding just 115.7 rushing yards per game ( No. 22 ). Where it will struggle however is through the air. UCLA possesses the No. 2 ranked passing offense in the country that’s gouged opposing defenses for just under 400 yards per game. The Ducks just allowed a bad Stanford passing offense to gouge it for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns last week. If Oregon is to not get blown off the field for a fourth straight week, it must find a way to somehow limit UCLA through the air.
Player to Watch
Josh Rosen – The Bruins field general was simply awful last week in a game his offense sorely needed him to step up his game to have any shot of keeping up. That simply didn’t happen with the junior going on to throw for just 219 yards and zero touchdowns. Making matters even worse was the three interceptions. The Wildcats boast a similar pass defense to that of the Ducks in that it concedes around 250 passing yards per game. But even with that being the case, does Rosen even care about the rest of the season? His body language sure offered up a different story last week. Maybe a return home to the Rose Bowl will get the sure-fire NFL signal caller back on track.
Free ATS Pick
If not for an unbelievable fourth quarter comeback against Texas A&M way back in Week 1, we’d be talking about a two win UCLA team headed nowhere. There’s been absolutely no growth in UCLA’s program this season, and I got a feeling changes are going to be made within it during the offseason. Heck, maybe even before the regular season ends. The Willie Taggart era hasn’t gotten off to the greatest of starts, but his kids certainly look like they give a damn. Up until last week, there had been some noticeable improvement on the defensive side of the ball. The offense not being able to do anything played a role in that. I don’t foresee that being the case on Saturday for Braxton Burmeister, and fully expect Oregon to have its best offensive performance in weeks against the Bruins exposable defense. With that, look for the Quack Attack’s dominance over UCLA to continue. Heads will likely start to roll in Tinseltown because of it.
College Football Odds: Ducks 33, Bruins 24
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