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UCLA Bruins vs. BYU Cougars Point Spread - Pick

UCLA Bruins (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) vs. BYU Cougars (1-1 SU, 2-0 ATS)
College Football Week 3
Date/Time: Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 10:15PM EST
Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah
TV: ESPN

By Loot, NCAA Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com

Betting Odds: UCLA -3.5/BYU +3.5
Over/Under Total: Off

On Saturday in week three action, the UCLA Bruins come out to Provo to face the BYU Cougars. Both teams are 1-1 and looking to begin making a push. Both teams lost in agonizing fashion. UCLA came up short against Texas A&M on the road in week one, coming from off the pace to force overtime before losing in the extra period. They got in the win-column in week two with a 42-21 win over UNLV. Brigham Young, perhaps the most dramatic team last season in terms of late-game theatrics, have been involved in two nail-biters to open the 2016 season, edging out Arizona in week one with a last-second field goal, before losing on Saturday in another thriller. On Saturday, they had a chance to beat in-state rival Utah, scoring a late touchdown to make it 20-19. Instead of a kick to make it a tie, they went for the two and failed, losing by single point in agonizing fashion.

The BYU-Utah game was a real mess, with nine turnovers making for a sloppy affair. The Utah defense picked off BYU quarterback Taysom Hill three times, once for a TD. The Brigham Young "D" was actually pretty good, holding Utah to just 13 points of offense, while forcing 6 turnovers. It was the offense that sputtered. With such wealth at quarterback, we'll see how long of a leash they have with Hill after the costly three picks, with Tanner Mangum waiting in the wings. But it wasn't all on Hill, as a young receiving crew with promise didn't deliver on much of it on Saturday. Hill was lively with his legs, leading the team in rushing with two TD runs, but they lack a special dimension in the aerial attack, though they again have a depth of big ball-catchers.

New BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has a lot of support, but going for two at the end of the game was a little dicey. It would have been a galvanizing moment had it worked and you like to see the guts Sitake brings to the table, even if it didn't work out this time. At the same time, there is something fundamentally wrong with not beating an opponent that turns the ball over six times. To be down late in the 4th quarter after getting a half-dozen turnovers is a bad indictment on that offense. Until late in the 4th, they had made only one trip into the red-zone. Granted, Utah can play stingy "D" at home, but it's almost a feat of futility how little they capitalized on Utah's mistakes.

Still, looking ahead, there are some shining points on this Cougars' team. First of all, the depth at QB is nice in the event that they need to change gears or give the offense a boost of freshness. RB Jamaal Williams wasn't great against Utah, but it's good to have him back in the fold and it paid off in week one to the tune of 162 yards. Again, the whole offense was in knots on Saturday, but look for receivers like Mitchell Juergens, Nick Kurtz, Jonah Trinnaman, and others to pay off more often than not. And in giving up 36 points (7 on a pick-six) in two games against a pair of Pac-12 teams, the BYU defense has shown they are up-to-snuff.

The Bruins could easily be 2-0 and looking ahead to bigger things. Now, they're more in atonement-mode, trying to put some distance between them and the Texas A&M loss. The 42-21 win over UNLV in their home opener was simple enough, They didn't even cover the spread against their outmatched opponent, but it was necessary to create something in the way of a positive development after the demoralizing week one loss. It was necessary to get their key pieces involved, as Soso Jamabo ran for three scores, key corner Randall Goforth picked off two passes, and Josh Rosen threw for 267 yards.

Still, against an improving but still mediocre UNLV bunch, UCLA struggled to gain much separation. A few minutes into the 4th quarter, it was only 28-21, Bruins. A pair of touchdowns in the 4th quarter made the score look more appropriate. Granted, UNLV is on the rise to some degree, but they were able to notch a series of big plays against the Bruins. This follows a performance against A&M where they had a really rough first half, before shoring up the Aggies and making an ill-fated late rally.

While there was some understandable optimism surrounding the UCLA offense this season with star QB Josh Rosen now in his sophomore season, there were some bad signs that many chose to ignore. In losing Paul Perkins at running back and their two top receivers, along with an offensive line facing some problems, perhaps some growing pains on offense were expected. There are a lot of new faces on this side of the ball and they haven't exactly hit the ground running. One shouldn't blame it on Rosen, who did enough to win the game against A&M, while getting the job done against UNLV, albeit not in explosive fashion.

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Whereas the offense is working in a lot of new pieces, the Bruins' "D" has a lot of experience. They showed some ability on the road and behind against A&M to tighten up and let the offense make a run at it. Against UNLV, they gave up some, but not to the point where you really want to make a big deal over it. It's not clear what they will become. A lot of good pieces exist throughout all phases of this "D," but all receipts are not yet in.

This is a well-matched game between teams that play well off each other. Last season at the Rose Bowl, UCLA used a late scoring drive to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in yet another down-to-the-wire result for the heart-attack Cougars. BYU matched up well with Rosen, as the UCLA quarterback had a horrible game on 11-for-23 passing, 106 yards, and three picks. It's unclear how the Bruins would struggle against this defense last season and do better this season with a more-depleted cast and now on the road, to boot. BYU has a knack for close affairs and this game could have a similar look. I'm taking the points.

Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the BYU Cougars plus 3 5 points. Bet the UCLA Bruins vs. BYU Cougars game for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% sign-up bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $500 at GTBets!

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