Penn State vs. UCLA prediction, odds: Target Bruins as massive underdogs
It feels as if Penn State is following a familiar pattern in 2024. The Nittany Lions are undefeated through the first month of the season, but ask any Penn State fan and they’d likely tell you that they’ve been far from convincing despite being ranked No.7 team and sitting as the third-favorite to win the Big 10 behind Ohio State and Oregon. The Nittany Lions got off the blocks in impressive fashion with a 34-12 win over West Virginia in Morgantown, but they were given quite the scare a week later by Bowling Green in their home opener.Penn State trailed the Falcons by four points at halftime and needed a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to secure their 34-27 win. A resounding 56-0 win over Kent State seemed to put James Franklin’s bunch back on course a week later, but the skeptics were back out after it took three quarters for the Nittany Lions to get separation against Illinois at Beaver Stadium last weekend.In other words, Penn State has traded impressive performances with underwhelming ones through the first four games and now have a hard-to-predict UCLA team coming across the country as a 28.5-point underdog.The first thing to note about this game is that UCLA’s quarterback, Ethan Garbers, is questionable to play.And while you obviously want the starting quarterback healthy if you’re betting on the Bruins, it’s been a bit of a struggle for Garbers through the first month.
He’s got six picks and just three touchdown passes on the season and the last thing you want is your big underdog handing over the rock.It’s not just the turnovers that have plagued UCLA, either.The Bruins have just struggled to move the ball at all and now take on a stout defense that has held two opponents to seven points or fewer already this fall. The optimistic point of view is that if Bowling Green had success moving the ball through the air against this defense, then UCLA can make hay too.
The Bruins are a pass-first offense, so it’s not a hopeless matchup. ...