Indiana Hoosiers (2-0) vs. UCLA Bruins (1-0)
September 14, 2024 7:30 pm EDT
The Line: UCLA Bruins +3 / Indiana Hoosiers -3; Over/Under: +51.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Indiana Hoosiers and the UCLA Bruins will meet Saturday in college football action from the Rose Bowl. Here’s a UCLA vs Indiana prediction. We will be looking at this from a betting perspective and determining the best UCLA vs Indiana pick.
Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview
Indiana’s season began with a matchup versus FIU. The Hoosiers scored in every quarter on the way to a dominant 31-7 victory. QB Kurtis Rourke threw for 180 yards and a TD. Elijah Green and Ty Son Lawton combined for three rush touchdowns, 156 yards, and 21 carries.
In their second game versus Western Illinois back on Friday, Indiana had an even easier time. The Hoosiers scored double-digits in every quarter in a 77-3 victory. Rourke had 268 pass yards and two scores, while Justice Ellison had 117 rush yards and two TDs of his own.
UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
Over on the UCLA side, they started things out with a long trip to Hawaii back on August 31. The Bruins would come home with a victory, though. UCLA was down 10-0 at the break but ended up winning 16-13 with a 16-3 run in the second half.
In their opener victory, UCLA’s Ethan Garbers threw for 272 yards, one TD, and two interceptions. Garbers also led the rush with seven carries for 47 yards. Topping the receivers was Rico Flores on 102 yards and a TD off three grabs. UCLA will take on LSU after this game.
Why the UCLA Bruins will win
- UCLA has won each of its last eight September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Indiana has lost 13 of its last 14 road games.
- Indiana has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight road games in September.
- The underdog has covered the spread in six of UCLA’s last seven games.
Why the Indiana Hoosiers will win
- Indiana has won each of its last 16 September games as a favorite.
- UCLA has lost each of its last five September games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- UCLA has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six home games against conference opponents.
- The road team has covered the spread in four of Indiana’s last five games.
- Indiana has won the first half in three of its last four games against conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Indiana’s last seven road games against conference opponents has gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of UCLA’s last six games against conference opponents has gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- UCLA ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q4 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
- UCLA ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q3 win percentage this season (1.000).
- Indiana ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q1 points per game this season (21.0).
- Indiana ranks T1st among FBS teams for Q1 opponent points per game this season (0.0).
UCLA vs Indiana Prediction
I’m going to stay with Indiana. Granted, the Hoosiers have had a couple of relatively soft matchups in their first two games, but they’ve performed quite admirably in both. In the Western Illinois win, Indiana gathered a whopping 701 yards (378 passing), 10.3 yards per play, and 33 first downs. On defense, the Hoosiers held the Leathernecks to 121 total yards (109 passing) and eight first downs.
As for UCLA, they’ve had a little extra time to prepare for this one. That’ll come in handy as there are a few things to clean up after eking past Hawaii. The Bruins went a tepid 4-of-13 on third downs, a stat which will need to improve in order to keep the Hoosiers offense off the field. Ultimately I don’t think UCLA will quite get there, though.
