With both teams fighting for positioning in a jam-packed Pac-12, UCLA will host No. 13 Washington State at the Rose Bowl this Saturday.
UCLA owns a 41-20-1 edge in this series, and it’ll be looking to extend that margin at home, which it’s favored to do with a 3.5-point spread. That being said, Washington State has won two of the last three matchups, including the most recent edition in Los Angeles.
Who will win this Saturday afternoon West coast clash? Find out with our Washington State Cougars vs UCLA Bruins college football picks and predictions for Saturday, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m. ET.
Washington State vs UCLA Odds
Track our latest CFB odds for Cougars vs Bruins:
NCAAF lines used for Washington State vs UCLA are current as of Monday, Oct. 2, at noon ET on DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: UCLA (-180) • Washington State (+150)
- Spread: UCLA -3.5 (-110) • Washington State +3.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 58.5 (-105) • Under 58.5 (-115)
UCLA is a favorite of about a field goal, with an important half-point hook creating a nice opportunity for Cougars bettors. The total is pretty high given the recent results on both sides of the ball for these Bruins, which is something to keep an eye on going forward.
Washington State vs UCLA Prediction
SCORE PICK: UCLA 27, Washington State 20
The final year of the Pac-12 is absolutely loaded with talent and ranked teams, including one of the two teams who has yet to jump ship from the conference, Washington State. It has soared up the rankings as it already picked up two ranked wins, although Wisconsin has fallen out of the top 25 since that game.
That being said, it hasn’t faced a defense yet like UCLA’s, which performed admirably in a loss to Utah, and completely shut down the historically efficient Grayson McCall and Coastal Carolina. The Bruins will be at home, and after a reality check against Utah, they had a bye week to tinker with the system and let highly talented freshman passer Dante Moore learn from his first experience against a top defense.
The Cougars are also coming off of a bye, but of course have to go on the road. This will be their first game away from home since their season opener, and that was against group of five squad Colorado State.
This should be a fun, competitive game, but UCLA has the ability to slow the air-based Washington State offense and secure a huge win.
Washington State vs UCLA Best Bets
UCLA -4 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Yes, the fourth point on the spread makes this one a bit dicey, but the Bruins should be able to win by a full score at home. Their pass defense is right around 30th in the country by expected points added (EPA) per play, making them the perfect counter to Cam Ward and Washington State’s air attack, which is fringe top 5 by EPA itself.
The Bruins offense has sputtered a little but Moore has impressed early on, and head coach Chip Kelly has a great track record of getting the most out of his talented college quarterbacks. Expect them to come out with some new looks this weekend and score enough points to take home the key win.
Under 59 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
As much as we should believe in Moore and Kelly to take a step up this week to some degree, the quarterback is still a true freshman, and has a long way to go in terms of reaching his full potential.
Don’t expect UCLA to light up the scoreboard immediately against a Cougars defense that did just enough to beat a much more seasoned passer in Oregon State’s D.J. Uiagalelei, who it limited to one touchdown, one pick, and less than 200 air yards in his Beavers’ loss to Wazzu.
Neither team has a particularly prolific run game either, and UCLA’s ground defense will be enough to make the Cougars completely one-dimensional on offense, which will in turn help the air defense by allowing them to drop more players into coverage.
This should be an interesting chess match between two clever coaches, and points could be at a premium.
Washington State vs UCLA Same Game Parlay
Washington State vs UCLA SGP (+180)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.50 Units
- Under 59 (-110)
- UCLA (-192)
We’ve already discussed the excellent value presented by the Under, which gives you access to a handful of key football numbers, and in addition to being a solid individual play, makes for a great parlay leg.
We’re also going to take UCLA on the moneyline here, to negate a bit of the risk that you assume by playing a spread that is a bit over the key football number of three. This way, you can capitalize on a plus-money wager if the Bruins win a low-scoring duel with a late field goal, or if a late Cougars game-tying try comes up short.
Both UCLA and Washington State remain longshots according to the latest Pac-12 odds.
