Bruins vs Buffaloes Football Spread/Handicapping
The UCLA Bruins have been an offensive machine throughout the 2012 season, but they’re coming off a matchup where they were held to just 20 points and their Heisman hopeful, Johnathan Franklin, had his worst outing of the year.
UCLA Bruins (3-1) vs Colorado Buffaloes (1-3)
Saturday September 29, 2012
Folsom Field, Boulder, CO
6:00 PM ET
Moneyline: OFF from GTBets.eu
Spread: UCLA -20.5
O/U: 60
The team hopes to get back on track against the Colorado Buffaloes, who are coming off a tight win over the Washington State Cougars.
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins have had one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the nation through four weeks. They’ve throw for 326 yards per game (13th in the nation), they’ve rushed for 251.5 yards per game (14th in the nation) and they’ve averaged 35.5 points (36th in the nation) heading into their matchup with the Colorado Buffaloes.
Heisman candidate Johnathan Franklin has gotten the bulk of the attention on this Bruins team, but quarterback Brett Hundley has been outstanding in his first season. Having thrown for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns (3 interceptions), Hundley has completed 66.2 percent of his passes and has the third-highest quarterback rating in the Pac-12.
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It’s not just the offense that’s rolling, however, as the team is allowing a more-than respectable 21.8 points per game. Their offense has been great, their defense has been good and if it weren’t for a stagnant performance against a much-improved Oregon State team, the Bruins would be 4-0 at this point in the season.
Colorado Buffaloes
If it weren’t for an incredible fourth-quarter comeback last week, the Colorado Buffaloes would be 0-4 heading into their week five matchup with the UCLA Bruins. Jordan Webb, the Buffaloes’ junior quarterback, ran the ball into the end zone in the final seconds against Washington State giving his team a 35-34 victory. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Webb has been decent this year, as he’s thrown for 777 yards and six touchdowns (3 interceptions), but his completion percentage is just 56.7 on the season. The Buffaloes are averaging 223.3 yards through the air in 2012, but their running game has been somewhat anemic up to this point. Having only rushed for 125.5 yards per game on the season, the team’s starting running back has just 265 yards and three scores through four weeks.
If Colorado’s defense were stepping it up, a lack of offensive production wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world; but when put blatantly, the Buffaloes’ defense has been atrocious this year. They’ve allowed 1,268 yards through their air thus far, which is the second-worst in the entire country. That trend must change against UCLA’s quarterback, who has thrown for the seventh-most yards in the nation.
Last season’s matchup with the Bruins didn’t go well for the Buffaloes. Allowing 553 yards of total offense was bad, and gaining only 229 was worse; but a 45-6 loss capped off one miserable trip to California.
This year’s game takes place in Boulder, but home-field advantage will only do so much for the team that has struggled up to this point. Expect the Bruins to have their way with the Buffaloes, and expect it to be pretty one-sided.
Trends
- Under is 6-1 in Bruins last 7 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Bruins last 6 games following an ATS loss.
- Under is 4-1 in Bruins last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
- Under is 7-1 in Buffaloes last 8 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Buffaloes last 5 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
O/U Pick: Under 60
Score Prediction: UCLA 38 – Colorado 13
