LA Bowl point spread: Picking UCLA Bruins vs. Boise State Broncos
UCLA has opened as a 2.5-point betting favorite over Boise State in the LA Bowl, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Bruins will be playing in their own backyard, as the game is held roughly 13 miles from UCLA’s campus, giving them a clear advantage over the Broncos from the opening kick.
How to watch the LA Bowl
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: (ABC), FuboTV (streaming)
Location: So-Fi Stadium — Inglewood, CA
To help him decide the smartest way to spend his money, On3’s Andy Staples was joined by The Athletic’s Chris Vannini to make their picks in the LA Bowl between the Bruins and Broncos.
Both Staples and Vannini agreed that quarterback play is what will move the needle in this matchup. UCLA starter Dante Moore is off to the transfer portal while former Boise State QB1 Taylen Green recently committed to Arkansas
“This is a tough one,” Vannini told Staples on Monday. “This is probably the toughest [game to choose this weekend] … I’m going to go with UCLA. I think Ethan Garbers is gonna play. I think it’s enough against a Boise State team that will have a quarterback who probably hasn’t thrown a pass this year, so I’m going to stick with UCLA. This is going to be extremely weird game. There are a lot of these games [this year], and we have no idea what to expect coming into a lot of them.”
Staples disagreed — but it wasn’t because Vannini’s points didn’t get through to him. Instead, Staples is making this prediction on a whim and feels like it could go either way once the opening kickoff ensues. Though, his deciding factor lies within the unsteadiness of UCLA’s coaching staff.
“That said, the vibes of UCLA feel terrible even though they know that Chip [Kelly] is coming back now, but they did lose their defensive coordinator USC,” Staples said. “I’m going to go with Boise State to pull the upset.”
The opening kickoff between the Bruins and Broncos is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET live on ABC and on the ESPN app. The over/under total is set at 49.5 points, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. The game will be hosted by former NFL tight end and Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski.