by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, December 16, 2023
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
Where to Watch: ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: UCLA -2, BSU +2; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: UCLA -2, BSU +2; Over/Under: 49.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: UCLA -2.5, BSU +2.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Season Record
UCLA Bruins: 7-5 (4-5) (7th place, Pac-12)
Boise State Broncos: 8-5 (7-2) (1st place, MWC)
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Recent Form
UCLA Bruins: lost their last game at home against the California Golden Bears 33-7.
Boise State Broncos: won their last game on the road against the UNLV Rebels 44-20.
UCLA Bruins vs Boise State Broncos Preview and Analysis
UCLA is entering this game with a 7-5 record overall and they have a 4-5 record in their conference games too. They are 4-2 in their home games, 3-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Cal 33-7. Dante Moore was the starting QB and he completed 23/38 passes for 266 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions before being replaced by Ethan Garbers who completed 7/9 passes for 43 yards. Carson Steele led the team in rushing yards with 53. Logan Loya led the receivers with 88 receiving yards on 9 catches and 1 TD. Jaylin Davies led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Grayson Murphy led the defense in sacks with 1. Kamari Ramsey and Laiatu Latu each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.
Boise State is entering this game with an 8-5 record overall and they have a 6-2 record in their conference games too. They are 5-1 in their home games, 3-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against UNLV 44-20. Taylen Green was the starting QB and he completed 12/15 passes for 226 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Ashton Jeanty led the team in rushing yards with 153 and 1 TD. Billy Bowens led the receivers with 91 receiving yards on 4 receptions. Rodney Robinson led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Seyi Oladipo led the defense in sacks with 1. A'Marion McCoy and Andrew Simpson each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.
UCLA vs Boise State Prediction
The current betting odds have Boise State listed as a 2 point underdog in this game for the LA Bowl according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Boise State has looked good this season with their 8-5 record overall but they have looked a lot better down this final stretch of the season. They went on a big run after firing their head coach and ended up going to the MWC Championship which they won against UNLV. They have been having a great season with their resilience and even after winning the Mountain West Championship, they will be looking to end the year with 1 last win in this bowl game. UCLA hasn't looked that great this season with their 7-5 record overall as they were a team that had much higher expectations coming into the season. They struggled a lot in their conference games with their 4-5 record in the Pac-12 and they don't really have any motivation to win this game with the way they ended their regular season. Boise State has had an unbelievable year to go on and win their conference championship and right now all the momentum is on their side here. The best way to place a bet here is on Boise State to cover the spread in this game.
UCLA Boise State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, December 16, 2023 (7:30 pm ET start time) is BSU 23 UCLA 16.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
UCLA Bruins: 14-7 ATS against Mountain West conference opponents. 22-11 ATS off an upset loss as a home favorite. 10-2 UNDER in all games. 8-1 UNDER as a favorite. 34-22 UNDER off a home loss.
Boise State Broncos: 4-8 ATS after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game. 4-11 ATS after a win by 17 or more points. 19-9 UNDER when the line is +3 to -3. 11-4 UNDER after gaining 6.25 or more yards/play in 4 consecutive games.
Key Injuries
UCLA Bruins: C. Schlee (QB) Prob Sat - Undisclosed. C. Steele (RB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. G. Smith III (DL) Ques Sat - Leg. E. Garbers (QB) Prob Sat - Forearm. K. Brown (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. A. Kaho (LB) Out indefinitely - Leg.
Boise State Broncos: C. Penry (WR) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. T. Crowe (RB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. K. Dudley (RB) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. M. Notarainni (LB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. T. Wegis (DL) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. D. Washington (DE) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. M. Madsen (QB) out for season - Leg. S. Cobbs (WR) out for season - Undisclosed. L. Caples (WR) out for season - Leg.
Notable Quotes
“We didn’t do what we needed to do, and it’s disappointing because in phases I think we’ve played really, really well. But we got to put it together. And in five games we didn’t put it together.” - Chip Kelly after his team’s loss against Cal in their last game.
“It's paramount. Those young men deserve all the credit because they had a lot of opportunities to say, 'Let's not do this. I'm going to find the easy way out. I'm going to transfer. I'm just not going to give my effort.' They never did it." - Spencer Danielson after his team’s win against UNLV in the Mountain West Conference Championship.
Starting Lineups
UCLA Bruins
WR Sturdivant, J.Michael
WR Brown, Kam
WR Loya, Logan
TE Matavao, Moliki
QB Garbers, Ethan
RB Steele, Carson
Boise State Broncos
WR Strachan, Prince
WR Bolt, Austin
WR Bowens, Billy
TE Smith, Riley
QB Green, Taylen
RB Holani, George
Statistical Leaders
UCLA Bruins
Passing: D. Moore (1610)
Rushing: C. Steele (846)
Receiving: L. Loya (650)
Touchdowns: C. Steele (8)
Boise State Broncos
Passing: T. Green (1752)
Rushing: A. Jeanty (1266)
Receiving: E. McAlister (873)
Touchdowns: A. Jeanty (19)
Coaches:
UCLA Bruins: Chip Kelly (6th season)
Boise State Broncos: Spencer Danielson (Interim)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
