UCLA vs Stanford NCAA Football Picks

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Stanford Stadium

Stanford Stadium is the venue where K.J. Costello and the Stanford Cardinal will take on the UCLA Bruins on Thursday. UCLA opens this matchup as 9.5-point underdogs. The Bruins are 1-4-1 ATS and 2-4-0 when betting on the total. The Cardinal are 3-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-4-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the UCLA Bruins went up against the Oregon State Beavers and took the defeat by a score of 48-31. Running the show from under center for the Bruins was Austin Burton who went 27/41 with 236 yards through the air and tossed 1 TD. He ended the game with no interceptions. Demetric Felton led the team in rushing for that game. He had a long run of 75 yards and he notched 1 TD during the game. He rushed for a total of 111 yards via 11 carries which had him averaging 10.1 yards per run. Kyle Philips led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 71 yards on 7 receptions. He earned an average of 10.1 yards per catch for that game. The Bruins ran the football 48 times and racked up 256 yards which earned them an average of 5.3 yards per rushing attempt. For the contest, the Bruins racked up a total of 27 first downs and they totaled 2 penalties for 25 yards which is telling of the great week of practice this squad had. On the day, they ran 89 plays which gave them a total of 492 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, UCLA allowed 18 completions on 26 throws totaling 285 yards, and a completion percentage of 69.2%. For the game, they allowed 448 yards but went the whole game without forcing a turnover. Against the run, the Bruins allowed 163 yards on 32 tries which gave them an average of 5.1 yards per run allowed.

The Bruins step onto the field holding a record of 1-5 for the 2019 season. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country with an average of 26.2 points per game, which has them at 87th in Division 1. As a team, they have an average of 142.8 yards on the ground per contest which is 7th in the Pac-12. For total yards, they currently sit at 10th in the Pac-12 and 75th in Division 1 with 2,384 yards. The Bruins have one of the most lackluster defenses in the country, allowing 37.7 points per contest putting them 12th in the Pac-12 Conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Bruins have allowed 1,527 yards. Teams are completing 68.7% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 9.7 yards per attempt. In terms of rushing yards, UCLA is allowing 162.7 yards per contest which has them at 8th in the conference and 74th in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.4 yards per carry ranking them 7th in the Pac-12 and 81st in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 976 rushing yards through 6 contests.

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In their last game, the Stanford Cardinal played the Washington Huskies and won by a score of 23-13. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Cardinal was Davis Mills who went 21/30 with 293 yards through the air and tossed 1 TD. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. Cameron Scarlett paced the team in rushing during the game. His longest run of the day went for 18 yards and he ran for 1 touchdown in the game. He rushed for 151 yards on 33 carries which had him averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Simi Fehoko led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 91 yards on 3 receptions. He earned an average of 30.3 yards per catch during the game. The Cardinal rushed the ball a total of 43 times and racked up 189 yards which had them averaging 4.4 yards per rush. In all, they finished with a total of 74 plays which gave them a total of 482 yards. On the day, the Cardinal racked up a total of 24 1st downs and they had a total of 9 penalties for 70 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. When discussing the defense, Stanford conceded 16 catches on 36 throws totaling 206 yards, and a completion percentage of 44.4%. For the game, they conceded a total of 294 yards and earned 1 takeaway. On the ground, the Cardinal conceded 88 yards on 22 carries which is an average of 4.0 yards per run allowed.

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The Cardinal head into this game 3-3. Stanford hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 124.8 yards on the ground per contest, putting them 104th in the nation. As a team, they have a total of 749 yards rushing through 6 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Cardinal average 353 yards per contest overall putting them 106th in the nation and 11th in the conference. The Cardinal are allowing 26.5 points per game ranking them 7th in the Pac-12 and 64th in Division 1. In terms of points allowed, they have allowed 159 points in total. In regard to rushing yards, they are conceding 119.8 yards per contest ranking them 36th in the country and 4th in the Pac-12. For this season, they have allowed 719 yards on the ground and 9 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road units in college football. They are giving up 273.8 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Cardinal currently sit at 8th in the Pac-12 Conference.

Who will win tonight's Bruins/Cardinal college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Bruins +9.5

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