UCLA vs Hawaii prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 1
It is time to continue our college football odds series with a UCLA-Hawaii prediction and pick. Find out how to watch UCLA-Hawaii.
The UCLA Bruins play their first football game as a member of the Big Ten Conference. This is clearly the easiest game on the schedule for the Bruins. They are not going to be favored by roughly two touchdowns in any other game they play this season. UCLA will play a rough schedule in the Big Ten, so the Bruins — if they are going to have any possible shot at a bowl bid in 2024 — must win this game. Their ceiling is probably 6-6, and some people would say 5-7. They just don’t have the horses needed to do much more than that. Keep in mind that UCLA lost its defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, to USC. Lynn took a below-average defense from 2022 and, in one 2023 season, turned it into one of the better-rated defenses in the country. Lynn also took two players — Kamari Ramsey and John Humphrey — with him to USC, further eroding the UCLA roster. UCLA has lost key players and coaches in the offseason. Bringing in new coach DeShaun Foster and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy might represent a good adjustment by the Bruins, but the damage was already done when Lynn, Ramsey and Humphrey left. UCLA should have fired Chip Kelly right after the season ended, but when the Bruins hedged and refused to act, Lynn bolted to USC and the program lost a lot of players. The Bruins are still paying the price for not being more decisive once the 2023 season ended. Now they have a roster which is likely to suffer in the Big Ten.
That roster might be good enough to beat Hawaii … and it better be. A loss here would almost certainly mean that UCLA won’t go to a bowl game in 2024. That’s not the kind of scenario a team wants before August turns to September. This is a must-win for UCLA, even though it’s only the first game of the season.
Here are the UCLA-Hawaii College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: UCLA-Hawaii Odds
UCLA: -14.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -530
Hawaii: +14.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +390
Over: 54.5 (-110)
Under: 54.5 (-110)
How to Watch UCLA vs Hawaii
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
TV: CBS, Paramount Plus
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why UCLA Could Cover The Spread/Win
Hawaii was a 39.5-point favorite at home last week against FCS opponent Delaware State. Not only did Hawaii not cover the spread, it didn’t even score as many points (35) as the spread. The Rainbow Warriors won 35-14, failing to cover by 19 points. That’s a lot. If Hawaii couldn’t crush a cupcake opponent, that does not bode well against a UCLA team which — though expected to struggle in the Big Ten — has better athletes than Hawaii across the board. Moreover, UCLA’s defensive improvements last season (even with D’Anton Lynn no longer around) should enable the Bruins to attain a reasonable standard of performance which will prevent the bottom from falling out in Hawaii. UCLA should play a stable, reasonably effective game, which is all it needs to win by 20 or more points and cover the spread comfortably.
Why Hawaii Could Cover The Spread/Win
UCLA is going to be a bad team this season. The Bruins might win only two games all year, probably no more than four. Hawaii might not be one of the teams to beat UCLA, but the Rainbow Warriors already have a game under their belt and might therefore be less sluggish in comparison to UCLA, which is making its season debut. Hawaii playing last week could make UH more polished and fluid this week, which could mean a difference of seven to 10 points in the final margin.
Final UCLA-Hawaii Prediction & Pick
We’re leaning to Hawaii but find both teams to be mysterious. Pass on this one.
Final UCLA-Hawaii Prediction & Pick: Hawaii +14.5
The post UCLA vs Hawaii prediction, odds, pick for College Football Week 1 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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