Why UCLA Has Become College Football’s Premier Betting Story

With the UCLA Bruins set to host their Spring Game in early May, most Las Vegas sportsbooks considered them a fringe bowl team.

The Bruins’ regular-season win total opened at 5.5, early money moved the betting line to 6, and some sportsbooks were out at 6.5 by August.

Sharp bettors believed in Bob Chesney.

Here we are 10 days before Halloween, and the Bruins (6-0 straight up, 6-0 against the spread) are arguably the best betting story of the season.

Not only have they cashed almost every Over bet, they have covered every game to date.

“It’s remarkable for a first-year head coach,” former Vegas bookmaker Ed Salmons told me. “They run the ball well and don’t make mistakes.”

“You look at UCLA’s schedule, though, the only good win is at Oregon. And I don’t even know what Oregon is at this point. I watched them the other day against Nebraska and they were horrendous.”

At the same time, you only play who’s in front of you.

UCLA head coach Bob Chesney has led his Bruins to a 6-0 record (Getty Images).

“I’ve moved UCLA up a touchdown from the summer,” professional bettor Slice said. “I didn’t do anything with the Nico [Iamaleava] injury yet. I’m still not sure what it means. There’s probably not that big of a drop-down there.

“They are an extremely well-coached football team.”

One of the weekend’s biggest losers in terms of power rankings is Ohio State. Despite covering a very hostile game at Indiana over the weekend, Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with an arm injury.

What’s the drop-off from a Heisman finalist to freshman Luke Fahey?

“I dropped Ohio State eight points, but I’ll revisit it when they play their next game,” Salmons admitted. “Usually with these top-tier quarterbacks, you take seven right off the top. The backup is a true freshman, and he wasn’t ready for Indiana. It was evident they weren’t going to let him lose the game.

“Ohio State goes from my No. 1 team to No. 8 or so without Sayin.”

The Buckeyes also went from +600 to +450 to miss the College Football Playoff at a couple sportsbooks around the country.

Still, their schedule isn’t exactly tough, and their roster is loaded.

Even without Sayin, OSU can beat Oregon, Northwestern and Michigan at home. Then, if you split with USC and Nebraska on the road, you’re a Playoff team.

“Here’s the difference between the Big Ten and the SEC,” Salmons said. “You can make a case that the Big Ten is better up top, but once you go down the ladder, the Big Ten is trash from the middle to the bottom. Outside of Arkansas and Vanderbilt, anybody can beat anybody any week in the SEC. It’s so deep.”

It might be deep, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t flawed teams.

Two weeks ago, Texas lost against unranked Oklahoma, then lost to unranked Florida. It’s the first time since 1961 that an AP No. 1 team lost two games in a row against unranked opponents. That’s the definition of underachieving.

So what’s wrong with the Longhorns?

Arch Manning seems to be just part of the problem at Texas (Getty Images).

“I think they just stink,” Slice cracked. “They can’t move the ball. Their average third-down distance is like third-and-9. They can’t put drives together. And now Colin Simmons is out on the defensive side. He’s their best pass rusher.

“Don’t get me started on Arch Manning, either.”

Salmons has spoon-fed us a winning wager in college football five of the last six weeks. The BYU-ND Under is the only blemish over that span.

What’s the move, Ed?

“I like South Carolina this week,” Salmons opined. “The public will think there’s no way South Carolina should be favored. A team that’s unranked is favored over a top-12 team. The line and the money tell you the story.”

As for the NFL, the Cleveland Browns continue to be a boon for the sportsbooks.

The public rarely bets the Browns, who have burst out of the gates with a 4-2 record against the spread. They delivered again this past Sunday, killing tons of bets and parlays tied to the Ravens.

“The Browns upsetting Baltimore was the bright spot,” Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel reported. “The book is the Browns’ No. 1 supporter every week, and they barked at exactly the right time.”

Deshaun Watson and the Browns are 4-2 against the spread after six weeks. (Getty Images)

And don’t look now, but if the regular season ended today, every single NFC North team would make the postseason. That has never happened since the league expanded to a 14-team playoff back in 2020.

“The Packers look like the most complete team in that division,” Feazel said. “Especially with Josh Jacobs returning to the lineup and Micah Parsons potentially not far behind. Both the Bears and Lions continue to show defensive vulnerabilities and the Vikings’ biggest concern is the offense.

“As the season progresses, the NFC North is making a strong case as the deepest and most dominant division in the NFL.”

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