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UCLA Comes In as the Betting Favorite, Can They Win the Gator Bowl?

Some bettors like to get their money on early, while others wait until the last minute to place their wagers. During bowl season, it is sometimes the latter approach that is the best way to go. The reason for that is that some teams will end up playing without some of their key personnel, with players heading to the NFL Draft now routinely choosing to sit things out instead of playing and running the risk of injury. Purists of the college game don’t like this approach, but when there are potentially millions of dollars at stake, you can understand why players skip what is essentially a meaningless game. It does look as though UCLA will have a full-strength squad to choose from, but perhaps check before making that final wager. They will face the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Sun Bowl, with the Bruins in as a 5 ½ point favorite. Can they get the win against Pitt? Let’s take a look and see so you don’t miss your chance to bet on the College Football Bowl Lines.

The Pros for the UCLA Bruins

Reports seem to suggest that the Bruins will have the majority of their key personnel taking part in this game, which is not something that can be said for the Pittsburgh Panthers, so that has to be seen as a positive for UCLA. The Bruins finished the season at 9-3, with 2 of their 3 losses coming at the hands of ranked opponents. They went 6-3 in conference play, and it was the late losses that kept them out of the PAC 12 Conference Championship Game. This is a team that probably feels as though they still have something to prove, plus getting to 10 wins would be a nice achievement.

The Bruins were certainly fun to watch on the offensive side of the football this season, averaging just shy of 40 PPG. They are a team with explosive play potential and have several game changers on offense, so keeping them at bay over the course of a full game is never an easy task.

The Cons for the UCLA Bruins

While there is no denying the talent that the Bruins have on offense, there were a few games this season where they needed all those points and more. The defense surrendered over 28 PPG and were a bit of a liability at times. While UCLA did win the final game of the season, the back-to-back losses that they took prior to that, when the Championship Game was still in sight, may well be seen as some as an inability to get the job done in the big games.

We are just talking about whether the Bruins can win this one, but for those of you looking at taking them to cover, you may want to tread carefully. They went just 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games and are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played in the month of December.

Will the UCLA Bruins Win?

I am not entirely sold on the spread for the Bruins, although definitely tempted to take them. The one thing that jumps off the page, though, is that they are 15-1 SU in their last 16 games played in the month of December. That is more than convincing enough for me, so I do believe that UCLA will win this one.

Previous Betting News

Who is Playing in the Sun Bowl? | UCLA Bruins vs Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Preview

One of the best from the Pac 12 takes on one of the ACC’s top teams at the 2022 Sun Bowl when UCLA throws down against the Pitt Panthers. After a great start, at one point the Bruins ranked in the top ten, UCLA’s form tailed off towards the end of the season. Pittsburgh picked it up towards the end of their season, winning their final four games. Will Pitt continue playing great football? Or will UCLA get back to their SU and ATS winning ways? Check out College Football Bowl Odds, analysis, and a free pick for UCLA versus Pittsburgh.

UCLA versus Pittsburgh Lines | Sun Bowl Odds

• When: Friday, Dec. 30 at 2:00 pm ET
• Where: Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX
• TV / Streaming: CBS/Paramount+
• ATS Odds: UCLA -3.5
• Money line Odds: Pittsburgh +143 / UCLA -176
• Over/Under Odds: 54.5

Why bet on Pittsburgh versus UCLA?

Pittsburgh finished their season winning four straight and winning 3-of-4 against the spread, but that’s not the only reason to like Pitt versus the Bruins. Pittsburgh averages close to 31 points per game.

The Panthers’ offense faces a defense that allows over 28 points per. QB Kedon Slovis won’t play, but that’s okay. Backup QB Nick Patti knows how to run the Panthers’ offense and Patti doesn’t face a great defense.

Why bet on UCLA versus Pittsburgh?

The Bruins offense is one of the best in the Pac-12. That’s saying something because Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, Washington, USC, and Utah all play in the Pac.

The Bruins can move the ball through the air and on the ground. Not only that, but although the stats say UCLA doesn’t perform well on defense, few teams in the Pac-12 have lock down defenses. So we can’t compare the Bruins’ defensive stats to Pittsburgh’s.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs UCLA Bruins Final Betting Prediction

UCLA may have to play without Dorian Thompson-Robinson. UCLA’s entire offense revolves around Thompson-Robinson.

The same isn’t true for Pittsburgh and Slovis. The Panthers are a run first team. The offense line will block no matter who carries the rock. So although top Pitt rusher Israel Abanikanda will skip this game, the Panthers should continue to have success rushing the ball.

Thompson-Robinson hasn’t said whether he’s playing or not. The likelihood he does play isn’t great. So if Thompson-Robinson doesn’t play, does that mean UCLA is a bad pick?

Nope. The thing is, UCLA overall is the much better team, this happens in Texas, and Pittsburgh has an awful record in bowl games. We should expect Chip Kelly’s Plan B, should Dorian take a seat, to be good enough for a Bruins’ win and cover.

NCAAF Pinstripe Bowl Pick: UCLA Bruins -3.5