College Football

UCLA at Penn State: Prediction, Odds, Expert Pick

Published Oct. 4, 2024 3:32 p.m. ET

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The UCLA Bruins (1-3) are 28.5-point underdogs in a road Big Ten matchup with the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at Beaver Stadium. The point total is set at 46.5.

The Nittany Lions' last game was versus the Illinois Fighting Illini, and they won by a score of 21-7. Against the Oregon Ducks in their last game, the Bruins lost 34-13.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

Colin & JMac's Big Bets: USC (-8) wins, Washington (-2.5) beats Michigan, UCLA-Penn State | The Herd

Colin Cowherd and Jason McIntyre unveil their Week 6 Big Ten Bets, including No. 11 USC (-8) beating Minnesota, Washington (-2.5) getting its revenge on No. 10 Michigan and hammering the over (46.5 total points) for UCLA - No. 7 Penn State.

Penn State vs. UCLA Game Information & Odds

• When: Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania
• TV: FOX
• Live Box Score on FOX Sports

More College Football Predictions

• Oregon vs. Michigan State Predictions
• Wisconsin vs. Purdue Predictions
• Ohio State vs. Iowa Predictions
• Indiana vs. Northwestern Predictions
• Nebraska vs. Rutgers Predictions
• USC vs. Minnesota Predictions
• Washington vs. Michigan Predictions

Penn State vs. UCLA Prediction

• Pick ATS: UCLA (+28.5)  
• Pick OU: Over (46.5) 
• Prediction: Penn State 33, UCLA 14

Predictions are made by the Data Skrive betting model.

Learn more about the Penn State Nittany Lions vs. the UCLA Bruins game on FOX Sports!

Pick by FOX Sports Betting Analyst Geoff Schwartz:

I'll admit it; this wager is a little about me being a stubborn mule. 

UCLA is not good. The Bruins have scored four offensive touchdowns in four games. They are also 128th in points per drive on defense. Yet, they’ve easily covered two straight games against LSU and Oregon, two teams that, on paper, should have blown them out. 

But this week, UCLA should get dominated.

Penn State ranks 13th in points per drive on offense, with that unit showing a better grasp of how to generate explosive plays than last season. Quarterback Drew Allar is completing 71% of his passes, while the Penn State run game ranks 15th in rushing success rate. The Nittany Lions defense remains one of the best in the country. It ranks third in overall efficiency and 11th in points per drive. 

This game should be 49-7 for Penn State. 

State has the advantage of being at home. UCLA, on the other hand, played its latest game on Saturday night and according to the players' internal body clocks for this week, this is a 9 a.m. matchup for the Bruins. Oh, and it's 2500 miles away. UCLA is beat up, and the quarterback Ethan Garbers is questionable to play.

UCLA’s in a bad spot this weekend, and I’m going to wager on Penn State because of it.

PICK: Penn State (-28) to win by more than 28 points

Penn State vs. UCLA Betting Insights

• Per the spread and over/under, the implied score for the matchup is Nittany Lions 38, Bruins 9.
• The Nittany Lions have a 98.7% chance to collect the win in this game based on the moneyline's implied probability. The Bruins hold a 4.6% implied probability.
• Penn State has a record of 2-2-0 against the spread this season.
• UCLA has covered twice in four chances against the spread this year.

Penn State vs. UCLA: 2024 Stats Comparison

Penn State 2024 Key Players

UCLA 2024 Key Players

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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