This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Picks: Colorado vs. UCLA Best Bets
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Colorado heads to Los Angeles, CA, this week while trying to shake off the stink of a double-OT loss to Stanford two weeks ago, and UCLA will look to remain in the PAC 12 conference race. Colorado has stumbled since a quick start to the season, and UCLA has managed to take care of business against lesser teams this season. Will that trend continue this week?
Colorado vs UCLA Betting Odds for Week 9
Spread: UCLA -17 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: 62.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Moneyline: -750 UCLA (DraftKings Sportsbook); +575 Colorado (BetMGM)
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Colorado vs UCLA Betting Picks for Week 9
It's been a tale of two seasons for the Colorado Buffaloes. They started hot with a win over TCU, then managed to take care of business against Nebraska, and just barely got past a determined Colorado State team. From that point on, however, it's been pretty ugly, culminating in a terrible loss two weeks ago to Stanford. The problem all season has been the defense, and even getting Travis Hunter back against Stanford couldn't help them hold onto a 29-0 halftime lead. The offense continues to produce most weeks, but the one time the Buffaloes faced a legitimate defense, they fell flat.
UCLA has two losses on the season, and both came against upper echelon PAC 12 teams in Oregon State (6-1) and Utah (6-1). The Bruins possess a balanced offense and a stout defense. They've surrendered more than 17 points just once this season, and they allow a paltry 68 yards per game on the ground.
The fact that UCLA has a great run defense won't matter much this week, as Colorado has little interest in running the ball. The best comparison we have for this game is when UCLA faced Washington State earlier this season. Yes, WSU is a better team than Colorado, but their offenses are similar in that they both prefer the pass heavily over the run. In that game, UCLA was able to hold WSU to just over 200 yards passing, which was well under their average.
On the other side of the ball, Colorado has been equally inept at stopping the run and the pass, which is great news for the Bruins because they prefer a balanced attack. UCLA throws for nearly 250 yards per game while running for just over 215 per game.
This is a nightmare matchup for the Buffaloes. Colorado has struggled to put away lesser teams this season, and the only time it faced a complete team (Oregon), it was blown out. UCLA is not at the level of Oregon, but it's close. UCLA runs the ball better than Oregon, and its passing game isn't that far behind. The defenses are comparable as well. If Colorado were an under-the-radar team, perhaps UCLA would overlook it, but that's not the case, and as such, I'm expecting the Bruins to cruise to victory in this spot.
Colorado vs UCLA Expert Pick: UCLA -17 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Colorado vs UCLA Predictions for Week 9
Colorado will no doubt come out hot after blowing a huge lead to Stanford in its most recent game. The offense will likely find some footing early, but eventually, UCLA will start to get the stops needed to pull away. The Bruins offense should hit the ground running, as Colorado really has no answers for their offense. This should be a high-scoring game, as Colorado won't be able to stop the UCLA offense, and the Buffaloes should score some early points and some late in garbage time. UCLA 48 - Colorado 21
