College Football ATS Picks - UCLA at Memphis Game Preview

Josh Rosen wants you to know that there’s another quarterback in Los Angeles. Rosen was once ballyhooed as a potential No. 1 overall pick but that talk withered following a 2016 campaign that was cut short by injury. He is reminding everyone that he is still an elite quarterback with his first two performances this season and will look to light up another team this Saturday when his UCLA Bruins travel cross country to take on the Memphis Tigers.

This contest in Week 3 of the regular season will go down Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 12

p.m. ET at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. This game will be broadcast on ABC.

College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu

UCLA -3
Memphis +3
Over/Under 69

Odds Analysis

Memphis actually flew to Orlando last week in anticipation of playing UCF before Hurricane Irma struck Florida. The Tigers were still on the tarmac when they were told that the game had been cancelled, so they refueled and headed back to Memphis for an unscheduled week off.

The Tigers haven’t played for over two weeks, following their season opening win against Louisiana-Monroe. They only won by eight and failed to cover the spread, but were never in danger of losing as the Warhawks scored 15 points in the final five minutes to make it appear closer than it was. That explosion doomed under bettors though as the final touchdown pushed the game over the total.

UCLA gave us a comeback for the ages in its season opener against Texas A&M. The Bruins were down 44-17, but roared all the way back to knock off the Aggies thanks to some inspired play from Rosen. The Bruins didn’t cover as they were favored by a touchdown, but they were happy to take the win after being down as much as 34.

Player to Watch

Rosen is once again playing like a future No. 1 pick. The Bruins are still having major problems with their running game and the offensive line is a mess, but Rosen is dragging this team to victory.

He has already thrown for 820 yards and nine touchdowns this season without tossing an interception and has completed 67.9 percent of his passes so far. Unlike most college quarterbacks these days, Rosen isn’t a mobile threat, making his passing statistics even more impressive. He often throws into tight coverage as his receivers don’t get much separation, but has the talent and confidence to make those throws.

There isn’t another quarterback like Rosen in the college game today.

Key Injuries

Memphis suffered quite a few injuries in the win over Louisiana-Monroe. The front seven was extremely affected with some crucial injuries along the defensive line and in the linebacking corps.

The loss of Jackson Dillon for the year is huge. He was key in Memphis’ defensive scheme as either a defensive end or a linebacker depending on the situation. The Tigers don’t have a natural fit to replace him and it will take some time for someone else to pick the position up properly.

Aside from Dillon, linebacker Darian Porter and defensive lineman Jared Gentry both suffered season-ending injuries against Louisiana-Monroe. Linebacker Genard Avery and defensive lineman Jonathan Wilson are also questionable for this week’s game, further limiting this unit’s depth. That should help UCLA keep the pocket clean for Rosen and the Bruins might be able to achieve some success on the ground.

Free ATS Pick

If it wasn’t for the injuries along the front seven for Memphis, I’d pick the Tigers in the upset. However, the injuries mean that Rosen will have time to find receivers and he will pick apart a Memphis secondary that is still coming together. It is a talented unit with two transfers from Oklahoma and a transfer from Missouri, but needs time to gel.

College Football Odds: Bruins 38, Tigers 30

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