Pittsburgh Panthers vs. UCLA Bruins: Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 12/30/2022

Time: 2 p.m. ET

Venue: Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, TX

Where to watch: CBS

DraftKings: UCLA -5.5; UCLA -215, Pittsburgh +185; O/U 53.5

FanDuel: UCLA -5.5; UCLA -220, Pittsburgh +180; O/U 53.5

BetMGM: UCLA -5.5; UCLA -200, Pittsburgh +165; O/U 53.5

Caesars: UCLA -6; UCLA -222, Pittsburgh +180; O/U 53.5

Pittsburgh: 8-4

No. 18 UCLA: 9-3

After what has been a very up and down season for the Pittsburgh Panthers, they now close their season with a chance to put together an impressive performance in a bowl game in which the opponent was considered one of the top teams in the country for the better part of the season. Pittsburgh comes into this game having won four straight outright and have won three of their last four against the spread. Good thing for Pittsburgh is that they handled their business during the stretch. Pittsburgh was favored as high as 6.5 points in the final four games and that particular one, they won 28-26 against Duke but didn’t cover. The other two, they did get it done by at least 21.5 points. So clearly there is something good coming out of what Pittsburgh did this year even though they underperformed despite losing their star quarterback and their top receiver to the transfer portal. But Pittsburgh did get a good solid season from transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis and got a great year from running back Israel Abanikanda. The latter ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the 42-16 win over Miami. Pittsburgh is going to be a team that's going to run the football as many chances it gets and it's going to be a dual threat option type of deal for Pittsburgh. I don't necessarily think that UCLA is fully incompetent on stopping the run, but it is going to be a very tough task for UCLA to try and stop Pittsburgh in what should be a rather entertaining game filled with plenty of read option and plenty of excitement yet to come.

It was shaping up to be a perfect season, figuratively and literally, for the UCLA Bruins. After starting off as well as they did this year, UCLA just fell apart at the seams late in the season. There was a 15 point loss to Oregon, a six point loss to Arizona, and then the three-point loss to USC which officially dampened any and all playoff hopes that they would have had. You see a little closed the regular season with just a 35-28 victory over Cal, a rather disappointing outcome for a team that should have absolutely ran away with that game. CLA is led by Dorian Thompson Robinson and his ability to break the game open with his legs is going to be as much as an important part of what Pittsburgh defense will be able to accomplish more than anything else that could be attained in this game. When you look at what UCLA has done this year it has been a matter of putting the right pieces of talent together and continuing to try and believe what Chip Kelly is selling that program. But even with those circumstances, UCLA should be the much better team when it comes to running the football and when it comes to finding a way to move the ball downfield. Head right now with that, perhaps this is the game where they can show the country how good they are.

I think Pittsburgh will find a way to keep this game close through 3/4 but it will be UCLA that eventually turns on the Panthers and put this one away. Give me UCLA and its ability to control the clock. UCLA by 10

Pittsburgh is 0-4 ATS in its last 4 following a straight-up win of more than 20 points.

UCLA is 11-24 ATS on the road following a bye week since 1992.

UCLA is 18-13 ATS in all games the last 3 seasons.

Passing: Kedon Slovis – 2,397 yards, 10 TD, 9 INT

Rushing: Israel Abanikanda – 1,431 yards, 20 TD

Receiving: Jared Wayne – 1,012 yards, 5 TD

Passing: Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 2,883 yards, 25 TD, 7 INT

Rushing: Zach Charbonnet – 1,359 yards, 14 TD

Receiving: Jake Bobo – 789 yards, 7 TD