A piece of first place in the Pac-12 race is at stake Friday when the Washington Huskies visit the UCLA Bruins in a matchup of two of college football's breakout programs for the 2022 season. Kickoff from the Rose Bowl is set for 10:30 p.m. ET in the nationally televised contest. Washington (4-0, 1-0) is hoping to compete for its first Pac-12 title since 2018 as it rebuilds from a four-win campaign last year. UCLA (4-0, 1-0) hasn't won a conference title since the Pac-12 adopted a championship game in 2011 though it has twice reached the title game. The winner will grab a share of first place with USC (4-0, 2-0), which hosts Oregon State on Saturday.
The Huskies are 3-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 66 in the latest Washington vs. UCLA odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before making any UCLA vs. Washington picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of more than $3,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UCLA vs. Washington and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for Washington vs. UCLA:
- Washington vs. UCLA point spread: Washington -2.5
- Washington vs. UCLA over/under: 65.5 points
- Washington vs. UCLA money line: Washington -145, UCLA +122
- UW: The Huskies are 4-1 against the spread following a straight-up victory.
- UCLA: The Bruins are 5-2 ATS at home in the last seven meetings in this rivalry
- Washington vs. UCLA picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Washington can cover
With the new rules regarding NIL deals and transfer flexibility, a program can turn around quickly if it grabs a few impact players from the transfer portal. The Huskies undoubtedly benefited from finding quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from Indiana and versatile running back Wayne Tualapapa, who transferred from Virginia. But perhaps even more important is a program's ability to keep its premier players, especially amid a coaching change in a climate in which a player can almost certainly secure playing time with another program as opposed to enduring myriad unknown factors.
The Huskies were somehow able to keep their top three receivers, Ja'Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillian, and Rome Odunze, all of whom explored their options before staying at Washington under DeBoer. Polk is a freshman, while McMillan and Odunze are sophomores. They have combined for 52 catches, 916 yards and nine touchdowns. DeBoer told the media this week that all three wideouts sticking with the Huskies has been a huge part of their success.
"It wasn't like all three at the same time just made the same decision. All three of them were a little bit different. But it was in the same kind of window of time, a day or so," DeBoer said. "There was obviously this excitement. I felt like at that time … we just need to prove to you that you're making the right decision. That's what I remember."
Why UCLA can cover
One area for marked improvement by UCLA has been the progress of a defense that was once regularly a liability but is becoming a strength of the team. Following last week's 45-17 win over woeful Colorado, seven of UCLA's last 11 opponents have now scored 20 points or fewer.
What's more, UCLA limited the Buffaloes to just 51 rushing yards, the third time this year it has held an opponent to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. The Bruins also had five sacks and eight tackles for loss against Colorado, both season highs.
"I think our conditioning has shown up in all four games that we played," coach Chip Kelly told the media afterward. "We wore them down a little bit and I think that was a factor in terms of how our players train during the week, so we always seem to be, so far in four opportunities we've been the freshest team in the second half."
A veteran-heavy UCLA defense has 10 players who have recorded double figures in tackles this season. Senior linebacker Darius Muasau leads the way with 21 tackles and a forced fumble.
How to make UCLA vs. Washington picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 62 combined points. It has also generated an against the spread pick that cashes in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Washington vs. UCLA? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished the past six-plus years up more than $3,100 on its FBS college football picks, and find out.
