The Utah Utes are nationally ranked and sitting atop the Pac-12 South, but are staring at a Week 8 matchup that will test them. The UCLA Bruins don’t have a sterling record but there is talent within their group, and this one could be a key showdown.
If the Bruins can come away with the win, they will further muddle a conference that has some good teams but no clear favorite. Utah hopes to instead take care of business and keep pace with the rest of the top teams.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 8 game is set for Saturday, October 22, 2016, at 4 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The spread isn’t out yet because of the uncertainty surrounding the availability of UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. Once his prognosis is cleared up, the line should be released.
The Bruins have been poor against the spread this season, covering only once in seven tries. So while the oddsmakers are still on board, those picking against UCLA have come out on top this season.
Utah is 3-4 against the spread this season and will aim to move to .500 by covering in this one.
Injury Report
Rosen suffered shoulder and leg injuries two weeks ago against Arizona state and didn’t play in last week’s loss to Washington State. He has thrown for 1,915 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions on the season and is a huge piece of the pie.
Rosen tried to warm up before the most recent game but couldn’t play. The Bruins will likely be secretive about his availability, but some feeling one way or the other is likely to emerge.
If he can’t go, UCLA will likely again turn to Mike Fafaul. He was 24-of-40 for 258 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions last week. Fafaul had some success but the Bruins would certainly rather have a healthy Rosen under center.
Player to Watch
Joe Williams - Utah was in dire straits at running back last week after leading rusher Armand Shyne was lost for the season due to injury.
The Utes got an unlikely boost from Williams, who was the starting running back heading into the season but retired two games into the season to concentrate on classroom work.
The Utes asked him if he’d consider coming back as they were down their top five running backs, and Williams agreed. He ended up rushing for 179 yards and a touchdown in a 19-14 win over Oregon State.
Utah is a solid team all the way around, and a strong running game makes it tough to beat.
Free ATS Pick
Utah has won three of their games by five points or less and has a loss to Cal, so while it is 6-1, it hasn’t been a dominant showing this year. The Utes will aim to keep the winning going on the road, but UCLA will give them a good game.
If Rosen can play, it will be a nice matchup, as the Bruins average 26.0 points per game while the Utes give up only 18.3 on the season. The Bruins are averaging more than 300 yards per game through the air this season, and will certainly try the air attack even though Utah has done a pretty nice job at defending it in 2016.
On the flip side, Utah will aim to run the ball consistently as it is averaging 193.6 yards per game on the ground this season. UCLA has been decent against the run, giving up 148 yards per contest, and whichever side wins that battle will have the advantage.
This outcome could come down the availability of Rosen. If he can play, the Bruins should be able to handle their business at home. If not, it gets tougher against a solid Utah team.
The call is that Rosen plays and leads his team to the victory to make the Pac-12 South even more complicated heading to the stretch run.
College Football Odds: UCLA 31, Utah 27
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