by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 15, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Where to Watch: NBC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Wisconsin +2.5, UCLA -2.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Wisconsin +2.5, UCLA -2.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Wisconsin +2.5, UCLA -2.5; Over/Under: 42.5 points
Season Record
Wisconsin Badgers: 4-1 (2-0) (4th place, Big Ten)
UCLA Bruins: 5-0 (3-0) (2nd place, Big Ten)
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Recent Form
Wisconsin Badgers: won their last game at home against the Michigan State Spartans 31-3.
UCLA Bruins: won their last game on the road against the Oregon Ducks 17-15.
Wisconsin Badgers vs UCLA Bruins Preview and Analysis
Wisconsin is entering this game with a 4-1 record overall and they have a 2-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-1 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Michigan State 31-3. Colton Joseph was the starting QB and he completed 9/20 passes for 145 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Colton Joseph led the team in rushing yards with 141 and 1 TD. Malachi Coleman led the receivers with 46 receiving yards on 1 reception and 1 TD. Cooper Catalano led the defense in that game with 10 tackles while Charles Perkins and Thomas Heiberger each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
UCLA is entering this game with a 5-0 record overall and they have a 3-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 3-0 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 Oregon 17-15. Nico Iamaleava was the starting QB and he completed 10/17 passes for 162 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Wayne Knight led the team in rushing yards with 103 and 1 TD. Aidan Mizell led the receivers with 62 receiving yards on 1 reception. Jalen Woods led the defense in that game with 9 tackles while Anthony Sacca led the defense in sacks with 1. Ta'Shawn James and Tao Johnson each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Wisconsin vs UCLA Prediction
The current betting odds have Wisconsin listed as a 2.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Wisconsin has looked good in their games this season with their 4-1 record overall and their 2-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They have been a good road team too with their 1-0 road record this year. Meanwhile, UCLA has looked great in their games this season with their 5-0 record overall and their 3-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They have looked good on their home field too with their 2-0 home record this season. UCLA has been rolling all year with their new head coach as JMU continues to pump out good head coaches. Chesney has rebuilt this program in his 1st year there and they have looked like one of the best teams in the Big Ten so far, but now they have lost their starting QB for the season and things could be turning sour. They are coming off a huge 17-15 road win over Oregon in their last one, but they could have a let down here with their starting QB now injured, especially since Wisconsin just had a bye week. Wisconsin is coming off a 31-3 win over Michigan State in their last one and they have also been turning things around this season. Fickell has changed his strategy this season by building a more physical team and it has paid off for him so far. Wisconsin does have a loss this season, but that loss came in their season opener against Notre Dame who is ranked like one of the best teams in the nation. This is a great situation for Wisconsin coming out of their bye week against an undefeated ranked team who is coming off a huge road win and is now without their starting QB. The best way to place a bet here is on Wisconsin to cover the spread in this game.
Wisconsin UCLA Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 17, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Wisconsin 20 UCLA 16.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Wisconsin Badgers: 6-1 ATS in a road game where the total is between 42.5 and 49. 7-3 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 8-3 ATS versus good offensive teams - averaging 5.9 yards/play or more. 14-5 UNDER against conference opponents. 8-1 UNDER when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%).
UCLA Bruins: 5-9 ATS in home games. 9-22 ATS after a 2 game road trip. 24-33 ATS versus good defensive teams - allowing 4.5 yards/play or less. 13-6 UNDER in games played on a grass field. 7-4 UNDER at home after playing their last game on the road.
Key Injuries
Wisconsin Badgers: M. Lane (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. O'Neil (QB) Questionable - Lower Body. J. Domingeaux (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Sama III (RB) Questionable - Upper Body.
UCLA Bruins: J. Phifer (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. Yoon (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Matthews (WR) Out - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“Bye weeks can be really good. I love the bye week. The Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, it’s like, oh, this is good. You need this. And then by Wednesday, it’s like, damn, I wish we were playing.” - Luke Fickell on his team’s upcoming game against UCLA this week.
“When someone goes down and someone’s got to step up, I say it every single time, is that you’re either exposed or you’re revealed, right? One of the two is gonna happen. When your number gets called, for Ty to step up in that moment, when Nico couldn’t go, and he put himself in a spot where he was revealed for knowing our run game, knowing what to get us into.” - Bob Chesney after his team’s win against Oregon in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Wisconsin Badgers
WR Hilton Jr., Eugene
WR Brooks Jr., Chris
WR Henry, Tyrell
TE Harris, Jacob
QB Joseph, Colton
RB Sama III, Abu
UCLA Bruins
WR Rowe Jr., Brian
WR Ellis, Landon
WR Morgan, Semaj
TE Phifer, Josh
QB Dieffenbach, Ty
RB Knight, Wayne
Statistical Leaders
Wisconsin Badgers
Passing: Colton Joseph (1,132)
Rushing: Colton Joseph (262)
Receiving: Tyrell Henry (339)
Touchdowns: Colton Joseph (3)
UCLA Bruins
Passing: Nico Iamaleava (982)
Rushing: Wayne Knight (548)
Receiving: Semaj Morgan (229)
Touchdowns: Wayne Knight (11)
Coaches:
Wisconsin Badgers: Luke Fickell (5th season)
UCLA Bruins: Bob Chesney (1st 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.
