UCLA Bruins vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Betting Pick & Prediction 10/19/24
UCLA and Rutgers are set to face off on Saturday, October 19th, with a 12:00 ET kickoff at SHI Stadium in Piscataway. The game will be broadcast on FS1, and the over/under line is currently set at 40.5 points. The Scarlet Knights are the -4.5 point favorites at home, coming in with a 4-2 record this season, while the Bruins are 1-5. This is a week eight Big Ten matchup.
UCLA BRUINS VS RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Rutgers Scarlet Knights -4.5
This game will be played at SHI Stadium at 12:00 ET on Saturday, October 19th.
WHY BET THE RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS:
- We have the Rutgers Scarlet Knights winning this one by a score of 22 to 16
- Not only do we have the Rutgers Scarlet Knights winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -4.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 40.5 points
Will The UCLA Bruins Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
UCLA enters Week 8 with a 1-5 record, and they have just a 1.1% chance of reaching bowl eligibility. The Bruins are 0-3 at home and 1-2 on the road this season. They’ve been favored in just one game, which they won, but have lost all five games as the underdog. Their average scoring margin is -14 points per game.
Against the spread, UCLA is 3-3, with a 2-1 record on the road and 1-2 at home. They are 3-2 ATS as underdogs but 0-1 as favorites. The Bruins’ over/under record is 1-5, with their games averaging 43 points. This week’s line is 40.5 points, compared to their average line of 49.6 points.
UCLA is ranked 74th in our power rankings as they prepare to face Rutgers. They’ve covered the spread twice on the road as underdogs and are looking to improve their record in Week 8.
UCLA’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 14.5 points per game, which ranks 97th in the nation. They are also 96th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. Their third-down conversion rate is low at 33.8%, and their rushing game is almost non-existent, with only 60.7 yards per game on the ground, placing them last in the country.
Quarterback Ethan Garbers has thrown for 1,101 yards, but he has just four touchdowns compared to nine interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 66. UCLA ranks 124th nationally in passer rating. They are 42nd in passing attempts, averaging 31.3 per game, and 85th in passing yards, with 213.3 per game.
UCLA’s defense has been strong against the run this season, allowing just 93.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 16th nationally. In their recent game against Minnesota, they gave up only 41 rushing yards on 24 attempts. However, the Bruins struggled against the pass, allowing 193 passing yards and two touchdowns. Opposing quarterbacks have averaged a 107.7 passer rating and a 70.5% completion rate against UCLA’s defense this season.
On average, UCLA’s defense has faced 37 pass attempts per game, ranking 87th in the country, and they’ve allowed 265.7 passing yards per game, which is 138th nationally. In the game against Minnesota, the Bruins allowed 21 points, despite giving up just 234 total yards.
Are The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Rutgers enters Week 8 with a 4-2 record, hosting UCLA. They are ranked 64th in our power rankings and have an 83.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. At home, the Scarlet Knights are 2-1 this season.
They’ve been favored in three of their six games, going 2-1 as the favorite. Rutgers has a +5.5 average scoring margin and a 3-1-1 record against the spread this season.
Their over/under record stands at 3-2, with an average line of 42.9 points. Rutgers games have averaged 45.8 points, and this week’s line is set at 40.5 points.
Rutgers has leaned heavily on their ground game this season, ranking 19th in the nation with 40.2 rushing attempts per game. They are averaging 200.7 rushing yards per game. Kyle Monangai has been the focal point of the rushing attack, amassing 739 yards and scoring seven touchdowns while averaging 5 yards per carry.
Overall, Rutgers is averaging 25.7 points per game, placing them 59th nationally. They are also 59th in third-down conversion rate, converting 40.2% of their attempts. Heading into week 8, we have them ranked 80th in our offensive power rankings.
Rutgers’ defense will look to bounce back after a tough game against Wisconsin, where they allowed 42 points and 551 total yards. The Badgers rushed for 311 yards and five touchdowns, while also throwing for 240 yards. Rutgers did manage to force one interception in the game.
Despite the rough outing, Rutgers ranks 29th nationally, allowing 20.2 points per game. They’ve given up 187 passing yards per game (40th) and a passer rating of 70.5, which is the 22nd-lowest in the country. Opponents have averaged 184.7 rushing yards per game against Rutgers this season.