Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4) vs. UCLA Bruins (9-3)
December 30, 2022 2:00 pm EDT
The Line: UCLA Bruins -4.5 / Pittsburgh Panthers +4.5 ; Over/Under: 60.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Pittsburgh Panthers and the UCLA Bruins meet Friday, December 30 in college football action from the Sun Bowl. Pittsburgh managed an 8-4 run this season. The Panthers are coming off a blowout win over Miami. As for UCLA, they’re currently 9-3 overall and beat California in their last outing. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
Pittsburgh managed to go 4-2 over their first six games, beating West Virginia, Western Michigan, Rhode Island and Virginia Tech. Another 4-2 run came in the final half-dozen outings, featuring wins over Syracuse, Virginia, Duke and Miami-FL.
In the November 26 matchup versus the Hurricanes, Pittsburgh was up 28-0 by halftime. The Panthers scored in every quarter during a 42-16 blowout victory. QB Kedon Slovis put up 256 yards with three scores, and Israel Abanikanda managed 111 yards with two rush scores.
Over on the UCLA side, they beat Bowling Green, Alabama State, South Alabama, Colorado, Washington and Utah before a loss to Oregon. The Bruins went 3-2 down the stretch with wins over Stanford, Arizona State and California.
On November 26 versus California, UCLA trailed 21-17 going into halftime. The Bruins scored 18 points after the break for a 35-28 win. Dorian Thompson-Robinson managed 189 yards with a TD. Zach Charbonnet rushed for 119 yards and a TD.
The Panthers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight after a straight-up win and 2-6 ATS in their last eight neutral-site games. Pittsburg is 1-4 ATS in their last five after an ATS win.
Meanwhile, UCLA is 4-0 ATS in their last four on turf and 2-5 ATS in their last seven neutral-site games. The Bruins are 2-7 ATS versus a team with a winning record.
PICK: I may take a stab on the Panthers here. Pittsburgh didn’t have too much trouble with Miami in their last appearance, posting 504 total yards, 27 first downs and a 4-of-8 success rate on third-down conversions. The Panthers have 28 or more points in two of their last three games, which is a welcome sight after a bit of an offensive lull.
As for UCLA, they stacked up 541 total yards and 33 first downs in their win over California. The Bruins have been great offensively all season, with 28 or more points in every game. This is looking like a high-scoring affair. Should be a great one to watch.
