Washington Huskies (3-5) 4-4 ATS, 5-3 O/U at UCLA Bruins (3-5) 4-4 ATS, 2-6 O/U Saturday November 7, 2009 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California. 3:30 p.m. EST
By Wilson of Predictem.com
Point Spread: Washington +4.5/UCLA -4.5
Over/Under: OFF
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The Washington Huskies will travel to sunny southern California to take on the UCLA Bruins this weekend in a Pac-10 matchup between two teams with similar records. Both the Huskies and the Bruins have had ups and downs this season and each team appears to be on the cusp of either sinking or swimming.
The Bruins are coming off of a loss to the Oregon State Beavers last weekend 26-19. UCLA’s quarterback, Kevin Prince was 22 of 34 for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns, which would normally result in a win but even with excellent numbers for any QB in Division 1, Prince could not get the W. Bruin’s Running back Nelson Rosario also had huge numbers as he caught 6 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. But it was not enough for the Bruins as they got started too late and were playing catch-up most of the game.
UCLA was down 16-0 at the half and although they made a push in the second half they just couldn’t get it done. The Bruins have lost five in a row since starting the season 3-0. They have not beaten a Pac-10 team this season which is a rare occasion for such a storied program. Who knows what will happen this weekend at the Rose Bowl, but for the Bruins it will likely make or break any chance of securing a bowl game if they do lose.
The Huskies are struggling as well after they shocked the college football world when they beat the then No.3 USC Trojans 16-13 earlier this season. But after tough losses to Notre Dame, Oregon, and Arizona State the Huskies are once again fighting for their post season identity. Quarterback Jake Locker is the most dynamic player on the team but he has had difficulty staying healthy and avoiding injury.
Most sportsbooks have the Bruins at -4.5 which is also what the line opened at this week. There are some online casinos who are posting UCLA -5.
The Huskies are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 road games, and they are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games overall. The under is 19-6 in UCLA’s last 26 conference games. UCLA tends to play well at home but the Huskies are capable of anything if Locker is on his game.
Washington is 0-3 SU, 1-2 ATS and 1-2 O/U on the road this season. UCLA is 2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS and 1-2-1 O/U at home this year. The Huskies are 2-5 SU, 4-3 ATS and 4-3 O/U as the underdog. UCLA is 2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS and 0-1-1 O/U as the favorite this season.
The Bruins may be in good shape if they can get the same effort out of QB Kevin Prince as he was on fire in the second half loss to the Beavers. Bruin’s Head coach Rick Neuheisel was not surprised at how well his QB performed and is confident that he can repeat that effort versus Washington which would be bitter sweet for Neuheisel as he was ousted from UW on a bogus gambling rumor. UW’s Locker actually has the better passer rating albeit one percent higher than Prince’s and has thrown for more yards. Locker has 12 touchdowns on the season and 8 interceptions. Prince has 4 TDs and 4 picks.
UCLA has won the last two meetings and outscored the Huskies 71 to 38. UW has lost 4 of their last 5 games while UCLA has dropped 5 straight. This will be a battle between two former Pac-10 powerhouses who have post season hopes on the line during the next couple of weeks.
Wilson’s Picks: UCLA 28, UW 27. Luck to ya.
