Betting on the Bruins: The Band Aid Bowl

With a banged up Ducks squad taking the field this weekend against the Bruins, we could call this game the Band Aid Bowl. It might be 4th string on 4th string especially since Oregon's 2nd string quarterback Ryan Leaf has also been nursing an ankle injury. It definately won't be a pretty game but one that both teams must win if they are to keep any hope of a Rose Bowl appearance alive.

The Bruins have been poor against the run lately and Jonathan Stewart has had a huge season. Of course, that was with Dixon behind center. Without their Heisman hopeful taking snaps the Ducks will be running a simplified offense with far less spread. Going up against Walker and the Bruin defense with an extra week to prepare might be tough for the Ducks. Then again, it is hard to know exactly what Oregon will do with Leaf in there. He hasn't been particularly accurate but he does have a lot of experience as a backup.

On the other side of the Ball, UCLA gets back Chris Markey... again. His last two returns have been poor, so I'm not holding my breath for a big day from him. Sheppard and Moline were decent against ASU and with an extra week of practice, I think Rasshan should be more comfortable. The Coaches also said they are tailoring the offense more to Osaar's strengths. Oregon's defense hasn't been great this year and UCLA plays much better at home, but I still don't see the Bruin offense putting up a lot of touch downs with their current personnel.

The current spread is UCLA +2. I like the Bruins in this game. Senior day, week to prepare, and some positive momentum. The Ducks look almost exactly like California, losing the prior week while #2 and their players and fans still dwelling on what could have been. I say Bruins plus the points and with a 50.5 over/under I think defense will dominate. So under.

Well, time to go do a bit of Sports Betting on this one.

Betting on the Bruins: Arizona State

I'll have to make this one quick. I like ASU on offense and defense in this one. The current spread is UCLA +7. I think the gamblers are giving the Bruins too much credit with Rasshan at QB. I think our boys are in big trouble. It might be close early but I expect the Sun Devils to take this one easily in the second half. I'm going with ASU minus the points. The over/under is 51.5. I'm liking the under because I think the Bruin defense will play well at home. ASU's defense is pretty good as well and I think the UCLA offense will have a very hard time moving the ball with the Sun Devils stacking against the run.

Betting on the Bruins: Arizona

So, who do you like more? The wildly inconsistent team with big wins and bad losses or the wildly inconsistent team with big wins and bad losses? That's the choice this week between UCLA and Arizona. The battle of the embattled coaches. The loser may very well lose his job at the end of the season.

Where is UCLA going to find any offense this week? Maybe Markey if his turf toe doesn't slow him down too much. At least Cowan got a full week of practice this time. Road game, and UCLA has been horrific on the road the last two years. Can the Bruins maintain some focus this time? Will all the injuries prevent this team from even having a chance? Can UCLA win?!? Let's see what the magic 8-ball says.

There ya go, folks. My years of following UCLA football, decades of watching and studying the game, and 6 months of running this blog have lead me to asking online magic 8-balls for advice on how the Bruins will perform. So, I'm going with UCLA minus the 2 points and whatever the under is. I don't even know the number, but does it really matter? It's going to be a defensive game. I just looked it up. 50 points. So, yeah, the under.

History

• WSU. O/U: 54.5. My pick: Under. Actual: 34. +$100.
• WSU. UCLA -6. My pick: UCLA minus the points. Actual: WSU +20. -$100.
• Cal: No line.
  
• ND. O/U: 48. My pick: Under. Actual: 26. +$100.
• ND. UCLA +20.5. My pick: Notre Dame plus points. Actual: ND +14. +$100.
• Org St. O/U: 54. My pick: Over. Actual: 54. Push.
• Org St. UCLA +2.5. My pick: Org St minus points. Actual: UCLA + 26. -$100.
• UW. O/U: 47. My pick: Under. Actual: 75. -$100.
• UW. UCLA -6.5. My pick: Washington plus points. Actual: UCLA + 13. -$100.
• Utah. O/U: 43.4. My pick: Over. Actual: 50. +$100.
• Utah. UCLA -14. My pick UCLA minus points. Actual: Utah +38. -$100.
• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money

Betting on the Bruins: WSU

So, last week, the line for the Cal game came out late. Like, Friday morning kind of late. I didn't see it in time for my post so I didn't have a prediction. Good thing too, because I probably would have gone with the Bears. I should have known my history... the Bears haven't won at the Rose Bowl this decade. Doh!

Well, we have another history lesson this week. UCLA has lost 5 of the last 6 games to the Cougs. We did beat them the last time we visited Pullman but it was very close. Maybe that is why the line is coming in at UCLA -6.

The Sagarin Rating would have UCLA as a 18 to 19 point favorite. I think the gamblers are once bitten twice shy (or is that twice bitten four-times shy?) with the Bruins. That would normally make me think a bet for the Bruins would be a good deal but with Cowan missing a practice, I'm still a bit hesitant. I'm still going to pick UCLA minus the points but it could be real close this week. I'll say UCLA 27 WSU 20.

The over under is 54.5. With UCLA's defense playing so well I'm going with the under. We'll have to wait and see if the injuries along the line and to Christian Taylor really hurt this team. I think they can cover OK, simply because we'll be in a lot of nickel packages anyways and the Cougs don't run the ball that well.

History

• Cal: No line.
  
• ND. O/U: 48. My pick: Under. Actual: 26. +$100.
• ND. UCLA +20.5. My pick: Notre Dame plus points. Actual: ND +14. +$100.
• Org St. O/U: 54. My pick: Over. Actual: 54. Push.
• Org St. UCLA +2.5. My pick: Org St minus points. Actual: UCLA + 26. -$100.
• UW. O/U: 47. My pick: Under. Actual: 75. -$100.
• UW. UCLA -6.5. My pick: Washington plus points. Actual: UCLA + 13. -$100.
• Utah. O/U: 43.4. My pick: Over. Actual: 50. +$100.
• Utah. UCLA -14. My pick UCLA minus points. Actual: Utah +38. -$100.
• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money

Betting on the Bruins: Cal

So, it looks like there is no line this week. I guess the instability at both quarterback spots means nobody is sure what will happen. I'm thinking a Cal victory but, with Pat Cowan in there, anything could happen. I'm just going to show up, drink my beer, and have a good time. We'll let the chips fall where they may.

Looking back at last week, I hit on both bets. It was almost like taking candy from a baby seeing UCLA favored by almost 3 touch downs. Of course, who could have know that Olson would get hurt... certainly not our coaches! Oh well, it improved my gambling numbers and I'm now up $100 after two tough games. Woopie! Good thing my imaginary bookie doesn't take a big chunk or else I'd be down for sure.

History

• ND. O/U: 48. My pick: Under. Actual: 26. +$100.
• ND. UCLA +20.5. My pick: Notre Dame plus points. Actual: ND +14. +$100.
• Org St. O/U: 54. My pick: Over. Actual: 54. Push.
• Org St. UCLA +2.5. My pick: Org St minus points. Actual: UCLA + 26. -$100.
• UW. O/U: 47. My pick: Under. Actual: 75. -$100.
• UW. UCLA -6.5. My pick: Washington plus points. Actual: UCLA + 13. -$100.
• Utah. O/U: 43.4. My pick: Over. Actual: 50. +$100.
• Utah. UCLA -14. My pick UCLA minus points. Actual: Utah +38. -$100.
• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money

Betting on the Bruins: Notre Dame

Another week and another victory by the Bruins! Good for my soul but bad for my gambling instincts. I thought the Beavers would win that game and they looked poised to do so entering the 4th quarter. It seemed like both teams were trying hard to lose that game and the Beavers finally succeeded. I can't recall a team that had such a sudden and complete collapse at the end of a game. Those players should be ashamed for the way they just quit. Especially on that blocked punt where Bosworth went completely unblocked. I guess the good news about that scoring spree is that it at least pushed the over/under to a push.

Right now the gambling gurus say UCLA -20.5 points. Call me a cynic but I'm not feeling a huge blowout victory by the Bruins. A solid victory, yes, but 20 points is a lot to give up. Especially with Notre Dame improving each week. Since UCLA has won it's last two games with me picking against them, I'm going to keep that trend alive and take the Irish plus the points. The over/under is 48. The Bruin defense stood up last week and did a fantastic job in holding the Beaver offense to only 1 touchdown. Will they repeat again? I think they can and will. With our offense struggling, I'm going with the under. I've been burned by the under this year, but lets see if that will pay off this time.

History

• Org St. O/U: 54. My pick: Over. Actual: 54. Push.
• Org St. UCLA +2.5. My pick: Org St minus points. Actual: UCLA + 26. -$100.
• UW. O/U: 47. My pick: Under. Actual: 75. -$100.
• UW. UCLA -6.5. My pick: Washington plus points. Actual: UCLA + 13. -$100.
• Utah. O/U: 43.4. My pick: Over. Actual: 50. +$100.
• Utah. UCLA -14. My pick UCLA minus points. Actual: Utah +38. -$100.
• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money

Betting on the Bruins: Oregon State

This last week proved why I wouldn't bet real money on UCLA. You never know what team your going to get. UCLA has covered the spread 3 times this year and 3 times they've hit the over. With the yards and points our defense is giving up each week, I don't think you'll see an under bet for a while.

So, looking at the Beavers, they have a pretty good defense. Well, at least they are pretty good against the run. They give up a lot of points, but it's hard to defend your field when your QB is giving away a NCAA leading 9 interceptions. UCLA has been absurdly bad on the road and Olson at QB doesn't give me any more confidence. If the Bruins can't move the ball on the ground then even more pressure falls on Ben's shoulders.

Looking at the latest odds, Oregon State is a 2.5 point favorite. Which is basically a toss-up. The over is at 54 and that's starting to push up. I'll take the Beavers minus the points and the over, because ... well, I have no confidence that either defense will keep this game low scoring.

History

• UW. O/U: 47. My pick: Under. Actual: 75. -$100.
• UW. UCLA -6.5. My pick: Washington plus points. Actual: UCLA + 13. -$100.
• Utah. O/U: 43.4. My pick: Over. Actual: 50. +$100.
• Utah. UCLA -14. My pick UCLA minus points. Actual: Utah +38. -$100.
• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money

Betting on the Bruins: Washington

Ah the Utah game. Like everyone else, I never imagined the Utes creaming us. I took the Bruins minus the points and got absolutely crushed. The upside, from a gambling perspective, is that I took the over and Utah covered that single handedly. Ouch!

Up next is Washington. Boy, I thought last week was hard to call! If I was gambling real money, I would skip this game because I have no idea what this team is going to do on Saturday. But that would be no fun and since we're playing with funny-money anyways, I'll take my best guess.

The latest line, as of this morning, is UCLA -6.5 with an over/under of 47. If the Bruins are going to win then it will be close. Pat is under center but he hasn't really practiced much this year with the groin injury. That will likely limit his mobility and he won't be in top physical shape having limited activity over the last month. Washington's duel threat quarterback looks like a big problem, but his passing accuracy has declined since their opener over Syracuse (gee.. that sounds familiar). Still, he gets it done on the ground. We're back at the Rose Bowl, where the Bruins have gone 13-1 over the last 2+ seasons. Tough call.

I'm going to pick UW plus the points. I just don't think our offense will move the ball effectively against a pretty good Husky defense. I think our defense will play better, simple out of sheer pride, but another spread offense doesn't give me warm fuzzies about our chances. I'll take the under and bank on our defense rebounding enough to keep UW in the low twenties.

History

• Utah. O/U: 43.4. My pick: Over. Actual: 50. +$100.
• Utah. UCLA -14. My pick UCLA minus points. Actual: Utah +38. -$100.
• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money.

Betting on the Bruins: Utah

Last weeks BYU game may not have been the easy win we all wanted, but the game did go according to my prediction. Chris Markey's late touchdown pushed the Bruins into a comfortable lead and, for all the gamblers in Vegas, it pushed the Bruins past the spread. It also put me up $200 in imaginary money as I hit on both the spread and the over/under.

Another fictitious $200 is on the table for this weeks game, but I'm having a hard time picking which way to go. The latest odds have UCLA -14 points with an O/U of 43.5. Utah has a lot of injured players including some key skill positions on offense. UCLA also has two defensive lineman (Harwell and Dragovic) out for the game. I suppose that balances out but with the recent offensive struggles against BYU, I don't have any feel for how well our O will perform this week. The Bruins are just so inconsistent it is hard to know what to expect.

Without Johnson, I don't see Utah passing the ball very well. UCLA's run defense has been very stout but the loss of Harwell is going to hurt that. If Utah thinks it can take to the air to get some yards then I think they will run into a UCLA secondary that is going to have a big game. They've been picked on the last two weeks, but I can see a big game with some interceptions. Utah runs a 4-3 and that should put Ben Olson back into a familiar setting. I have a gut feel that UCLA puts up a few TDs on offense and another one on defense/special-teams. I'm going to say 31-13. That's UCLA minus the points again but this time I like the over.

History

• BYU. O/U: 46. My pick: Under. Actual: 44. +$100.
  
• BYU. ULCA -7.5. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +10. +$100.
  
• Stanford. O/U: 46..5 My pick: Under. Actual: 62 . -$100.
  
• Stanford. UCLA -17. My pick: UCLA minus points. Actual: UCLA +28 =: +$100.
  

Disclaimer

I am not actually gambling on these games. This is entirely for fun. I know nothing about gambling and have no insider information. If you actually bet on these games using my predictions you are crazy and will likely lose all of your money.

Betting on the Bruins: BYU

So, I broke even last week with my fictitious wager on the Stanford game. I correctly picked the Bruins with the spread but was way off on picking the under. UCLA almost covered the 46 point over/under all by themselves! Moving on to this week, Vegas is giving the Cougars 7.5 points. I like UCLA minus the points. The BYU win over Arizona wasn't all that impressive and I think UCLA's newly re-tooled offense will be able to score at least a few touchdowns. The over under is 47 and I think that is an easy pick. I'm going under with both defenses looking very stout this year. I think it will be a low scoring affair but ultimately go to our boys. I'm going to say, UCLA 24, BYU 13.

Betting on the Bruins: Stanford

I'm not a big gambler, but I thought it would be fun to play a little "imaginary" money each week and see how good I am at predicting how UCLA will perform. Don't take my picks as advice, as I don't want any angry e-mails from you guys if you lose any money after reading my blog. I'll pick the spread and the over/under and bet my fictitious $100 on each.

The latest odds have UCLA at -17 points against the Cardinal with a 46.5 point over/under. We know the defense will be good, so I'm thinking a low scoring game. I'm taking the under. With Stanford breaking in a new west-coast-like offense, the Bruin defense should do very well as they see that each week. Stanford also will run a 4-3 this year, which the Bruin offense sees a lot in practice. That's still a pretty big spread considering that the Bruins are the visiting team. I think the UCLA offense will do well enough to put up a few touchdowns, while our defense smokes Stanford and they might get a TD as well. My final prediction is 31 - 13, which just puts UCLA over the 17 point mark. I'm going to take UCLA minus the points.