The UCLA Bruins and Cal Golden Bears face off on Friday in a college football showdown at the California Memorial Stadium. When these two teams faced off in 2021 it was UCLA that secured the 42-14 victory.
UCLA comes into this game with an 8-3 record and they have gone 6-5 against the spread. In the last game against USC, they were competitive scoring 45 points, but the defense gave up 48 points. Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 23 of his 38 passes for 309 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. After such a strong start to the season, UCLA has lost two games in a row. UCLA is averaging 40 points while their defense is giving up 28.4 points per game. The offense is the 5th best in college football. On the season Thompson Robinson has thrown for 2.694 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Cal comes into this game with a 4-7 record and they have gone 6-5 against the spread. In the last game against Stanford, Cal scored 21 points in the 4th quarter, and that was enough for the 27-20 victory. Quarterback Jack Plumer completed 23 of his 43 passes for 280 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Cal is averaging 23.5 points while their defense is giving up 27.2 points per game. On the season Plummer has thrown for 2,801 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. In this game, if Cal wants to win it’s going to need to be the defense that has a big game.
The over is 5-0 in the Bruins last five road games. The under is 5-0 in Cal’s last five games played on Friday. The under is 11-1 in the last 12 meetings played between the two teams. The home team is 9-3 against the spread in the last 12 meetings played between the two teams.
After losing two games in a row, this is another letdown spot for UCLA. Cal is going to really try to control the clock with this game, and that will limit UCLA’s offense. I also don’t trust this Cal offense, and that will be the difference as this game is going to stay under the total. Back the under to cash here.
AUTHOR: Shane Mickle
