Week 1: UCLA vs Bowling Green 9/3/22 College Football Picks, Predictions, Odds
Bowling Green Falcons (0-0) vs. UCLA Bruins (0-0)
September 3, 2022 2:30 pm EDT
The Line: UCLA Bruins -23.5 / Bowling Green Falcons +23.5 ; Over/Under: 55.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The UCLA Bruins and Bowling Green Falcons clash Saturday in week 1 college football action from the Rose Bowl. Bowling Green posted a spotty season last year, going 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the MAC. As for UCLA, they’re coming off an 8-4 run in 2021 with a 6-3 mark in the Pac-12. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
If there’s good news for Bowling Green, it’s that they took a step forward last year from their dismal 0-5 2020 season. The Falcons managed to go 4-8 overall and 2-6 in Mid-American Conference play. That mark left the team in fourth place in the East Division.
Bowling Green started out the year at 2-2 before hitting a losing streak versus Kent State, Akron, Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan. The last four games featured losses to Toledo and Miami-OH bookended by wins over Buffalo and Ohio.
Over on the UCLA side, they had a fairly positive year in 2021 despite missing out on a division championship. The Bruins went 8-4 overall and 6-3 in the Pac-12, landing in second place in the South Division behind Utah at 8-1.
UCLA started out a little shaky at just 5-4 over their first nine games, falling to Fresno State, Arizona State, Oregon and Utah. The Bruins ended with three wins over Colorado, USC and California, however. UCLA was set to play in the Holiday Bowl versus NC State but had to pull out due to virus issues.
The Falcons are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games and 4-0 ATS in their last four non-conference games. Bowling Green is 5-16 ATS in their last 21 in September.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are 4-1 ATS in their last five on grass and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five in September. UCLA is 5-2 ATS in the last seven overall.
PICK: I’m probably going to stay with UCLA in this one. The Bruins really need to showcase their stuff this season if a conference championship game appearance is in the cards. UCLA will have to fend off both Oregon and USC in the standings to get there, which might be doable considering the favorable 2022 schedule. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is back under center, which is great news. UCLA also has talent on the lines and some solid depth, so anything’s possible. They’ll start things off here versus a scrappy Bowling Green team; this should be a fun game to watch.
