Utah vs. UCLA Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks Today: College Football Week 1 Best Bets
Former Pac-12 rivals lock horns tonight at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (11 p.m. ET, FOX) as I weigh in with my Utah vs. UCLA prediction.
Both teams finished with 5-7 records last season and aggressively hit the transfer portal in an attempt to ascend the standings. Utah is the 5.5-point betting favorite despite dropping seven of its final eight games last season. Here's why I backed the betting favorite as part of the college football picks.
As a bonus, I sourced a high-value plus-money prop pick, complementing the college football predictions for Week 1.
🏈 Utah vs. UCLA expert picks & predictions
College football expert picks made Thursday; odds subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Utah (-205 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Against the spread pick: Utah -5.5 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Under 51.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
📝 Utah vs. UCLA preview & best bet
Track the latest college football scores for line movement and matchup info.
🔴 Utah -5.5 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐
These two programs were clearly headed in opposite directions at season’s end. The Utes dropped seven straight games before closing with a 28-14 road upset of UCF. Conversely, UCLA rallied from a 1-5 start under first-year coach Deshaun Foster to win four of its last six games.
So why do oddsmakers favor Utah in this contest, and why has the betting market concurred with that opinion? First, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham overhauled his entire skill position group by raiding the transfer portal. However, every first-string offensive lineman is a holdover. That tells me Whittingham has confidence in his bullies up front (two of whom have first-round NFL Draft potential).
On the other hand, three-fifths of UCLA’s first-string offensive line was playing elsewhere last season. That revamped line will be charged with protecting transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who had 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions at Tennessee last year. However, four of Iamaleava’s top six wide receiver targets are dealing with injuries (three are questionable and one is out).
So even though Utah transfer QB Devon Dampier had as many INT last year at New Mexico as TD (12), I’m taking Utah -5.5 (-110) at Caesars, with an implied win probability of 52.38% and a $10 wager potentially yielding $9.09 in profit.
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💰 Best Utah vs. UCLA player prop bet
Our college football player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
🔥Devin Dampier to score first touchdown (+750) ⭐⭐
New Utah quarterback Devin Dampier may leave a lot to be desired as a passer, completing less than 58% of his throws while posting 12 TD and 12 INT, but what he lacks in arm talent, he makes up with mobility. The junior rushed for 19 touchdowns last year (to go with the four he had in limited time in 2023).
Admittedly, UCLA’s rushing defense was a major strength last year. The Bruins ranked sixth in the country, allowing just 96.2 yards per game. But they did surrender 17 rushing scores.
I expect Utah to get off to a fast start on the way to a comfortable win. And there’s an excellent chance that the fast start begins with Dampier carrying the ball across the goal line for the game’s first score and cashing this prop bet at +750 odds at Caesars. Obviously, the implied win probability is short (11.76%) - but the payout could be huge ($10 wager wins $75).
📊 Utah vs. UCLA odds: Week 1
College football odds update live in real time.
📈 Utah vs. UCLA betting odds analysis
The Utah vs. UCLA betting line opened with the visiting Utes as a decided 3.5-point favorite. Much of the early action favored Utah, which jumped to as high as a 6.5-point. The point spread has since dialed back to the consensus number of Utah -5.5, which is considered a “dead number” in football.
Interestingly, UCLA was drawing 57% of the betting action as of late week. If that trend continues, logic says this line will dip to Utah -5 (if not -4.5) by kickoff. So if you like the Utes, the prudent move may be to wait. At the same time, it appears Bruins backers won’t get another chance to nab six points with UCLA.
🔢 Utah vs. UCLA stats (2024)
Season stats courtesy of sports-reference.com.
| Utah (5-7) | Statistic (per game) | UCLA (5-7) |
|---|---|---|
| 23.6 | Points | 18.4 |
| 20.7 | Points allowed | 25.2 |
| -0.3 | Turnover margin | -0.3 |
| 199.4 | Passing yards | 242.2 |
| 130.4 | Rushing yards | 86.6 |
| 200.3 | Passing yards allowed | 244.7 |
| 129.4 | Rushing yards allowed | 96.2 |
| +0.2 | Net yards per play | 0 |
🚑 Utah vs. UCLA injuries
🔢 Utah vs. UCLA updated betting lines
- 55% of bets are are UCLA to cover as the betting underdog
- Utah opened as the 3.5-point betting favorite. That line has since increased to 5.5 points
- The total opened at 50.5 points. That's where it has remained, and 52% of bets back the Under
📺 Utah vs. UCLA game info
- When: Saturday, Aug. 30
- Kickoff: 11 p.m. ET
- Where: Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)
- How to watch: FOX
❓ Utah vs. UCLA FAQs
Who is favored to win Utah vs. UCLA?
Utah is trading of a favorite of as much as -222 on the moneyline as of Friday.
What is the spread for Utah vs. UCLA?
Utah opened as a 3.5-point betting favorite but the spread sits at -5.5 heading into the weekend.
What is the Over/Under for Utah vs. UCLA?
The total for the Over/Under is trading at 51.5 almost universally, with a few outliers on 50.5 or 51.5.
What are the best bets for Utah vs. UCLA?
My best bets for Utah vs. UCLA are Utah -5.5 (-110) and Devin Dampier to score the first TD (+750).
When is the Utah vs. UCLA game?
Utah vs. UCLA kicks off from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., at 11 p.m. ET (FOX).
How do college football odds work?
When betting on college football, the point spread shows how many points the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -3 must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while an underdog at +3 must win outright or lose by fewer than 3 points to cover the spread.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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