An early season battle for supremacy in the Pac-12 South takes place in Tucson when the UCLA Bruins visit Arizona. The Wildcats are hopeful this is the year coach Rich Rodriguez solves the Jim Mora Jr. puzzle and leads his team to a victory. RichRod and UA is 0-3 both SU and ATS in his tenure in the desert against Mora and the UCLAns.
ODDS
UCLA opened as a 3-point favorite on the road with a total of 64. Early money on the Bruins brought the spread as high as -4.5 before settling at its current -3.5. The Wildcats put up 584.7 yards of offense per game in their cupcake non-conference schedule and this could be a different outcome. The total wagered up to its current 66.
KEY MISMATCH
Statistically speaking this could be the best offense coach Rich Rodriguez has had in his four years at Arizona. The team has gotten progressively better each week, although critics will point to a pillowy-soft non-conference schedule of Texas-San Antonio, Nevada and lower-division Northern Arizona. The Wildcats poured it on against the Lumberjacks last week, setting school records for points, total yards and rushing yards in the 77-13 laugher. Quarterback Anu Solomon has attempted 104 passes with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions, and he is one of two quarterbacks in the country with double-digit touchdown totals without a pick. Running back Nick Wilson leads the Pac-12 and ranks seventh in the nation in rushing with 144.7 yards per game. His workload could go up this week as he figures to play more than the first half, as he has in the past two weeks. The Bruins defense is lamenting the loss of linebacker Myles Jack, as he joins two other stalwarts on that side of the ball that are lost for the year.
KEY STAT
76.7 – UCLA’s penalty yards per game. The Bruins rank 111th in the nation and probably won’t get many close calls on the road in a hostile environment.
BETTING ANGLE
The Bruins suffered a huge blow to their defense when linebacker Myles Jack was lost for the season with a knee injury during a non-contact drill in practice this week. Jack is the third major defensive player to be lost for the year, following cornerback Fabian Moreau and lineman Eddie Vanderdoes. The absence of those players will certainly create some holes in the Bruins’ highly-rated defense for Arizona’s Solomon to exploit. Solomon is the driving force behind the Wildcats’ offense that ranks fifth in the FBS with 1,754 scrimmage yards and averages 9.0 yards per play. One of his worst performances last season came against UCLA, however, as he completed 18 of 48 passes for 175 yards with a touchdown and interception. The Wildcats entered that matchup averaging 40.6 points and 541.9 yards but were held to 255 yards in a 17-7 loss. Coach Rich Rodriguez is 0-3 against UCLA with Arizona.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Bruins will get Ismael Adams back and he should help solidify the defense and kick return game, but he hasn’t played or practiced since his suspension was lifted this week. How much of a difference he makes is unknown. The Wildcats also could get a key figure back with linebacker Scooby Wright on the mend. He started practicing this week and could play in the conference opener. But this game will come down to the play of quarterbacks and Arizona’s Solomon is more seasoned than UCLA’s freshman Josh Rosen, who has his first big road test this week. Rosen was spectacular in the opening win over Virginia, but has since regressed, forcing the Bruins to rely on the running of Paul Perkins and Nate Starks. The play of Solomon and the home cookin’ in the desert will help the Wildcats pull out a close one.
Arizona 34, UCLA 31
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Bruins were positioned as 3-point favorites with a total of 64. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats square off on Saturday, September 26, 2015, at 8 p.m. ET at Arizona Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on ABC.
