UCLA vs Utah NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 11/16/2019

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Rice-Eccles Stadium

Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the UCLA Bruins head to Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the Utah Utes. UCLA opens this matchup as 21-point dogs. The Bruins are 4-4-1 ATS and 4-5-0 when betting on the total. The Utes are 2-7-0 when wagering on the over/under and 6-3-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the UCLA Bruins played the Colorado Buffaloes and ended up getting the victory by a score of 31-14. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Bruins was Dorian Thompson-Robinson who went 21/28 with 226 yards through the air and added 2 TD's. He threw 1 interception on the day. Joshua Kelley led the team in rushing during the game. His longest run of the day went for 35 yards and he notched 2 TD's for the game. He rushed for 126 yards via 23 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Ethan Fernea was the receiving yardage leader by earning 45 yards on 2 catches. He notched an average of 22.5 yards per reception during the game. The Bruins ended up rushing 46 times and racked up 200 yards which earned them an average of 4.3 yards per carry. On the day, the Bruins earned a total of 24 first downs and they had a total of 8 penalties for 95 yards which is telling in terms of discipline. Overall, they ran 74 plays which gave them a total of 426 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, UCLA allowed 21 completions on 38 attempts for a total of 195 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.3%. Against the run, the Bruins allowed 88 yards on 27 tries which means they had an average of 3.3 yards per carry allowed. For this contest, they gave up 283 yards and forced 1 turnover.

The Bruins come into this game with a record of 4-5 for 2019. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country with an average of 29.3 points per contest, ranking them 67th in the nation. As a unit, they have an average of 170.8 yards on the ground per game which is 4th in the Pac-12 Conference. For total yardage, they rank 8th in the Pac-12 and 76th in the nation with 3,658 yards. The Bruins have one of the most lackluster defenses in D-1, giving up 32 points per game which has them at 10th in the conference. In regard to rushing yards, UCLA is giving up 137.2 yards per contest ranking them 5th in the Pac-12 Conference and 42nd in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4 yards per carry putting them 6th in the conference and 56th in the country overall. In total, they have allowed 1,235 yards rushing through 9 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Bruins have allowed 2,121 yards. Opponents are completing 64.8% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 8.6 yards per attempt.

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The last time they took the field, the Utah Utes played the Washington Huskies and notched a win by a score of 33-28. Zack Moss led the team on the ground during the game. He had a long run of 18 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He racked up a total of 100 yards on 27 carries which meant he averaged 3.7 yards per tote. Jaylen Dixon was the receiving yardage leader by earning 72 yards on 2 receptions. He earned an average of 36.0 yards per catch during the game. Leading the way at QB for the Utes was Tyler Huntley who went 19/24 with 284 yards passing and threw 1 TD. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The Utes ran the ball 44 times and earned a total of 115 yards which had them averaging 2.6 yards per run. In the game, they ran 68 plays which gave them a total of 399 yards. In the game, the Utes racked up a total of 19 first downs and they had a total of 3 penalties for 15 yards telling us that they had a strong outing in terms of discipline. On the defensive side of the ball, Utah gave up 29 completions on 52 tries totaling 316 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.8%. For this contest, they conceded a total of 369 yards and earned 3 turnovers. In the running game, the Utes gave up 53 yards on 22 attempts which gave them an average of 2.4 yards per rushing attempt allowed.

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The Utes head into this game 8-1. Utah has made teams game plan around their running game by averaging 207.8 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 29th in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,870 rushing yards through 9 contests, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Utes average 446.4 yards per contest overall putting them 34th in college football and 4th in the Pac-12. The Utes are giving up 12.2 points per contest ranking them 1st in the conference and 6th in Division 1. Their pass defense is one of the elite units in college football. They are giving up 190.3 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Utes are ranked 1st in the conference. When talking about points allowed, they have allowed 110 points in total. In discussing yards rushing, they are conceding 56.2 yards per game which puts them at 1st in the nation and 1st in the Pac-12. For the 2019 season, they have given up 506 yards rushing and 2.7 rushing touchdowns.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Bruins +21

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