UCLA Favored by Eight Points Against Struggling Utah
By SBRForum.com

UCLA and Utah have both been surprises in the Pac-12 this season, but for very different reasons. On Saturday, they will hook up in a key conference game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Utah was on the cusp of entering the Top 25 following a season-opening win against Northern Colorado, but due mostly to an ineffective offense they have since fallen off the national radar. The Utes had one quality win (against No. 25 BYU) and one bad loss (to Utah St.) in non-conference play and have since gone 0-2 in the Pac-12. That’s not exactly what was envisioned for the Utes in the preseason.

Meanwhile, UCLA got off to a fast 3-0 start under first-year coach Jim Mora that included a big home upset of Nebraska. According to this week’s college football odds, the Bruins (4-2, 1-2) are 8-point home favorites against the Utes (2-2, 0-2). The over/under is pegged at 52 points.

Utah has struggled to move the ball this season—they rank 102nd in the nation in passing offense and 112th in rushing—while totaling just 299 yards a game. That has been a point of emphasis all week for the Utes.

One wrinkle expected against the Bruins is increased playing time for freshman quarterback Travis Wilson. Wilson led a 63-yard touchdown drive in the Utes 38-28 loss to USC last week and has continued to impress coaches this week at practice. He would take time from starter John Hays.

UCLA will be looking to rebound from perhaps their worst effort of the season to this point—a 43-17 whooping at the hands of California last week. The Bruins offense is led by standout running nack Johnathan Franklin, but it has been hampered recently by the inconsistent play of a young offensive line that features three freshman and a sophomore in its starting five. Last week against Cal the Bruins gave up five sacks. Mora said this week his young team’s lack of depth means there isn’t likely to be any changes in personnel with that unit.

UCLA is 4-2 against the spread this season, but a young squad laying 8 points against a team that was well-regarded early in the season seems a bit risky. Utah is out of the running for a Pac-12 title, but there backs are also against the wall if they want to go to a bowl game this year. That could be just the incentive they need to keep it close against the Bruins.

Utah Utes vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Betting Prediction: Utah +3 (December 31st 2011)
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This will be Georgia Tech’s 15th straight bowl appearance. That’s quite an impressive stat. What’s not so impressive is the fact the Yellow Jackets have lost their last six bowl games. Recently, the Yellow Jackets’ regular season success hasn’t translated into the postseason. With a month to game-plan, teams have been able to slow down Tech’s one-dimensional offense. I expect Utah, which is giving up the seventh-fewest rushing yards per game (98.3) nationally, to have success in slowing down Georgia Tech’s run-heavy triple-option offense. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, who are tied for 70th in the country with an average of 162.9 rushing yards allowed, may have a more difficult time slowing down a Utah running attack led by John White, who finished ninth nationally in the regular season with 1,404 rushing yards to go along with 16 total touchdowns. Utah has won 9 of its last 10 bowl games and is 6-1 in bowls under coach Whittingham. Last year’s loss to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl ended the Utes’ run, but I expect them to start a new one Saturday. The Utes are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 bowl games and 36-15-1 ATS in their last 52 games as an underdog. The Yellow Jackets are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 bowl games. We’ll take Utah.

Jimmy has you covered with the 3 STRONGEST plays in Saturday’s New Year’s Eve Bowl lineup. He kicks the day off at 12:00 PM ET with his 5* 24-0 ATS Pre-New Year’s Bowl Game of the Year on the Texas A&M/Northwestern Meineke Car Care Bowl matchup, and keeps you cashing with his Cincy/Vandy Liberty Bowl SMASH (ABC, 3:30) and Virginia/Auburn Chick-fil-A Bowl Bailout (ESPN, 7:30)! If you enjoyed this Utah Utes vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Betting Prediction from Jimmy Boyd, be sure to purchase his premium bowl picks today.

College Basketball Picks: December 16th 2011
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Pick: Washington -7.5
Washington is primed for a dominant performance tonight at home against Cal Santa Barbara. The Huskies are a much better team than their 4-4 record would indicate, but they have simply fell victim to a very tough schedule in the early going. Washington’s four losses this season have come against Duke, Marquette, Saint Louis and Nevada. Those four teams have a combined 34-5 record on the season. They have lost three straight by a combined 11 points, all on the road or on a neutral court. After playing both Marquette and Duke in their last two games, the Huskies will be battle-tested and ready to take on a much lesser opponent tonight. Santa Barbara has played a very favorable schedule. They have played six home games compared to just one road game, which resulted in a narrow 65-61 win at San Diego as a 10-point favorite. This is by far their toughest test of the season, and I don’t see them being able to stay within double-digits of the Huskies Friday. Washington is 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games after 2 consecutive non-conference games. The Huskies are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 December games. Santa Barbara is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games. Santa Barbara is 10-27 ATS in their last 37 versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game. The Gauchos are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog. Bet Washington Friday.

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Pick: Utah +2.5
The Utes have lost 8 in a row since winning their opener, but they have an excellent opportunity to end their skid this evening. Utah plays a half-court style that has given the Bengals fits. Consider that Idaho State is 0-7 ATS in its last 7 games versus slow-down teams that average 53 or less shots per game. The Bengals are losing to these teams by an average score of 68 to 53. Utah won the most recent meeting with Idaho State 68-56 at home 2 years ago. The Utes have won 4 straight at home in this series with each win coming by 6 points or more. The Bengals haven’t shown they can be trusted laying even a small number. They are 12-27-1 ATS in their last 40 games as a favorite of 6.5 or less and 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a road favorite of 6.5 or fewer. The Utes, meanwhile, are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games as a home underdog of 6.5 points or less. We’ll bet the Utes. -Jimmy Boyd. Get more college basketball picks on December 16th 2011 from our sports handicappers at Touthouse.com