by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Sep 05, 2023
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 9, 2023
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA
Where to Watch: CBS
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: UCLA -13.5, SDSU +13.5; Over/Under: 49 points
Bet365: Point Spread: UCLA -13.5, SDSU +13.5; Over/Under: 48.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: UCLA -13.5, SDSU +13.5; Over/Under: 48.5 points
Season Record
UCLA Bruins: 1-0 (0-0) (10th place, Pac-12)
San Diego State Aztecs: 2-0 (0-0) (1st place, MWC)
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Recent Form
UCLA Bruins: won their last game at home against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 27-13.
San Diego State Aztecs: won their last game at home against the Idaho State Bengals 36-28.
UCLA Bruins vs San Diego State Aztecs Preview and Analysis
UCLA is entering this game with a 1-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against CCU 27-13. Ethan Garbers was the starting QB and he completed 10/17 passes for 121 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Carson Steele led the team in rushing yards with 76. J. Michael Sturdivant led the receivers with 136 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Darius Muasau led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Laiatu Latu led the defense in sacks with 3. Jaylin Davies and John Humphrey each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.
SDSU is entering this game with a 2-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Idaho State 36-28. Jalen Mayden was the starting QB and he completed 13/19 passes for 87 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jalen Mayden led the team in rushing yards with 132 and 2 TDs. Martin Blake led the receivers with 40 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Marcus Ratcliffe led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Cody Moon and Garret Fountain each led the defense in sacks with 1. Cedarious Barfield, Dezjhon Malone, and Noah Tumblin each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.
UCLA vs San Diego State Prediction
The current betting odds have UCLA listed as a 13.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. UCLA won their season opener against Coastal Carolina but they didn't look good in that game as they only put up 27 points at home. Their offense was terrible in that game as both of their QB's struggled, but now that they both have a game under their belt they will be a lot better here. SDSU has been good to start the season as they played in week 0 and are 2-0 now but they also tried to transition their offense to more passing this season and that failed miserably as they have reverted back to running. They do have a good defense but they won't be able to hold down this Chip Kelly offense all game and with the passing game not working well for SDSU, they won't have a way back in this game if they fall too far behind. UCLA will also be looking to make a statement in this road game against another California school as they know they didn't play well week 1 and will be looking to erase that ugly win with a much better one. The best way to place a bet here is on UCLA to cover the spread in this game.
UCLA San Diego State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 9, 2023 (7:30 pm ET start time) is UCLA 35 SDSU 14.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this UCLA Bruins San Diego State Aztecs prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.
NCAAF Betting Trends
UCLA Bruins: 5-1 ATS as a road favorite. 13-7 ATS against Mountain West conference opponents. 7-1 OVER off 1 or more consecutive unders. 8-1 OVER off a home win.
San Diego State Aztecs: 3-6 ATS after gaining 125 or less passing yards in last game. 17-23 ATS against Pac Twelve conference opponents. 12-4 OVER as a home underdog of 7.5 to 14 points. 8-4 OVER off a home win.
Key Injuries
UCLA Bruins: None.
San Diego State Aztecs: None.
Notable Quotes
“We had talked about Garbs playing at least the first quarter, and then putting Dante in at some point in time in the second quarter, and then putting in Collin (Schlee) situationally.” - Chip Kelly after his team’s win against CCU in their last game.
“Obviously, we didn’t play the kind of football we wanted to play.” - Brady Hoke after his team’s win against Idaho State in their last game.
Starting Lineups
UCLA Bruins
WR Sturdivant, J.Michael
WR Ford, Kyle
WR Loya, Logan
TE Habermehl, Hudson
QB Garbers, Ethan
RB Harden, T.J.
San Diego State Aztecs
WR Nicholson, Joshua
WR Penny, Brionne
WR Shaw, Mekhi
TE Redman, Mark
QB Mayden, Jalen
RB Christon, Kenan
FB Gardinera, Nick
Statistical Leaders
UCLA Bruins
Passing: D. Moore (143)
Rushing: C. Steele (76)
Receiving: J. Sturdivant (136)
Touchdowns: J. Sturdivant (1)
San Diego State Aztecs
Passing: J. Mayden (251)
Rushing: J. Mayden (156)
Receiving: M. Shaw (74)
Touchdowns: M. Redman (2)
Coaches:
UCLA Bruins: Chip Kelly (6th season)
San Diego State Aztecs: Brady Hoke (4th season)
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.
