Why Oregon Should Worry: Vegas Pac 12 Predictions Week 8
Saturday Blitz Vegas Pac 12 Predictions Week 8
UCLA Bruins at California Golden Bears
Line: UCLA by 6.5
The UCLA Bruins have lost respect from the voters. Two losses have knocked them out of the Top 25, just after we thought they had gained respect back with a blowout win over Arizona State. Now, with Cal coming to town, the Bruins face a team similar to the Sun Devils. The Golden Bears like to pass. For UCLA to win, it needs to focus on offense and Brett Hundley. Hundley will have to throw the ball all over the Cal defense and put up lots of points for the Bruins to win big, because there is no way to spin this. This game is going to be a shootout. And whichever passing offense shows up the most is the one that wins. We know what UCLA will do on defense. They’ll give up lots of points but still give the offense a chance to win. It’s up to the offense to take that chance.
Cal, meanwhile, is going to do the same thing it has been doing on offense: throw it a lot with Jared Goff. But in this game they might want to get a little more of a rushing attack going with Daniel Lasco. UCLA has struggled against teams that can run the ball well, and if Cal could switch it up and get a running game going at home, that would be huge. It would also keep UCLA’s high-powered offense off the field, which they clearly want to do. Cal will still want to use Goff to make plays, but Lasco should get 30 carries in the game. Doing that will give the Golden Bears, oddly enough, a chance to win the game. They ironically want to keep it low-scoring.
Prediction
Even if Cal does decide to go more toward a running game, the passing game is still going to be needed to win. And UCLA thrives against teams trying to throw the ball a lot with only one weapon at running back. The Golden Bears lose a shootout to the Bruins, and it is going to be a pretty comfortable game.
UCLA: 52 California: 38