NCAAF Picks: The UCLA Bruins were the trendy pick to not only win the Pac 12 Conference but also compete for a national championship. So far they have been an overlay that has won but has been nowhere near dominant. The defending Pac 12 South Division champion Arizona State Sun Devils have also been a weak board value as an undefeated team on the field and now must play without injured star QB Taylor Kelly who is out with a foot injury.
The 15th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils will host the No. 11 UCLA Bruins at Sun Devil Stadium on Thursday night with coverage on Fox Sports 1 starting at 10 PM ET. Check BetDSI for the latest NCAAF odds.
Kelly’s Heroes
Arizona State is 3-0 straight up, 1-2 against the spread and 1-2 under the total. The Sun Devils are coming off a bye week that followed a 38-24 win at Colorado in which they missed the payout as 15.5 point chalks. The loss of Kelly is a major concern as he had an eye-popping 168.1 QB rating with a 6-to-0 TD/INT ratio. ASU is well balanced however as DJ Foster is averaging 9.4 yards per carry and is the team’s second leading receiver with 11 catches at 12.6 yards per reception. A defense that ranks 75th overall in the nation is another worry.
Overlays Bruin
UCLA is 3-0 SU but 0-3 ATS with a 1-2 mark under the total. The Bruins are coming off a bye week that followed a dramatic 20-17 comeback win over Texas in Arlington. Starting QB Brett Hundley missed most of the Texas game and is probable for this one. Backup QB Jerry Neuheisel led the comeback over Texas and proved capable if needed. UCLA also has defensive issues and ranks 74th overall in that department.
Matchup and Pick
UCLA has not been able to hold good board value on the road as they have paid out in just nine out of their last 20 away games with four losses against the spread in their most recent six away games as eight out of their last nine away games have gone under the total. Arizona State has paid out in 10 out of their last 17 home games with five out of their last seven home games going under the total. UCLA has come away with the money in eight out of their last 11 head to head matchups with Arizona State as the last four meetings have gone over the total. We’ll call for UCLA to finally wake up.
