The No. 5 UCLA Bruins (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) and the Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3, 3-2) meet Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET (FOX). Let's analyze college football odds around the UCLA vs. Minnesota odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.
Minnesota leads the all-time series 3-1. The last meeting (Oct. 12, 2024) saw the Golden Gophers win 21-17 in Pasadena as 3.5-point favorites as the Under (39.5) cashed. It was the first time Minnesota and UCLA played as Big Ten members. The Gophers also won in 1977 and in '62 (Rose Bowl), while the Bruins' lone win in the series was 17-3 in Los Angeles back in 1978.
UCLA is coming off a non-conference 27-0
shutout vs. Nevada, cashing as a 22.5-point favorite last Saturday with the Under (42.5) hitting. Bruins QB Ty Dieffenbach, who took over as starter for the injured QB Nico Iamaleava earlier in the month, threw for 178 yards with 1 TD and no picks and ran for a TD, too. The Bruins also scored on defense as DB Derrick Barksdale returned an interception for a 26-yard touchdown.
The Bruins are 8-0 against the spread (ATS), the only D-1 school with an unblemished ATS record, The Under has cashed in 4 consecutive games with the defense allowing just 35 points in the past 5 contests for a 7.0-points per game (PPG) average. UCLA is No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Minnesota is coming off a heartbreaking 23-16 loss in overtime at the No. 3 Indiana Hoosiers, though the Gophers covered as 20.5-point underdogs as the Under (40.5) hung on despite the extra session. Prior to that, Minnesota snagged the Floyd of Rosedale trophy with a 13-10 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes as 7.5-point home underdogs.
The Gophers are 6-2 ATS, including 4-0 ATS in the past 4 games as underdogs. The Under is 4-1 in 5 games as a dog this season.
– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports
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UCLA at Minnesota odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): UCLA -185 (bet $185 to win $100) | Minnesota +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
- Against the spread: UCLA -4 (-110) | Minnesota +4 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 38.5 (O: -110 | U: -108)
UCLA at Minnesota picks and predictions
Prediction
Minnesota 20, UCLA 16
Moneyline
MINNESOTA (+150) is a strong play as a moderate underdog playing at home. The Golden Gophers have played well as an underdog, going 4-1 ATS.
The Gophers should have finished off Indiana last week for an upset. They beat the Michigan Wolverines 20-14 at home as 6.5-point underdogs (Oct. 3) and topped the Washington Huskies 27-24 on the road as 12.5-point dogs (Sept. 26). Minnesota seems to excel when expectations are lowered, rather than games it is expected to win or be close.
Against the spread
Back Minnesota +4 (-110) if you can't bring yourself to take the Golden Gophers on the ML to spring the upset. This should be a close game.
UCLA is down to a backup quarterback who hasn't exactly lit the world afire, and traveling east, even just to Minnesota, and not all the way cross country, is a tough assignment.
Final suggestion: Bet 1½ UNITS between the 2 options, Minnesota ML and Minnesota +4, however you see fit.
Over/Under
UNDER 38.5 (-108) is a low number, but it is still worth playing lightly.
The Under has cashed in the Gophers' past 2 games, with Minnesota averaging 14.5 PPG and allowing 16.5 PPG. The Under is also 3-1 in the past 4 games, too, while cashing at a 4-1 clip in 5 games for the Golden Gophers as underdogs.
UCLA's defense is solid, allowing just 7.0 PPG in the past 5 games with the Under going 4-0 in the previous 4 outings. Meanwhile, the offense only averaged 22.3 PPG in the past 4 contests.
Best prop bet
Minnesota QB DRAKE LINDSEY UNDER 191.5 PASSING YARDS (-114 at FanDuel Sportsbook).
Even though I like Minnesota to spring the upset, it's going to be an uphill battle against the stout UCLA defense. Lindsey has thrown for 137 or fewer yards in 3 of the past 4 games, so don't expect him to explode for big yardage against a top-tier D.
Betting odds calculator
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on X at @danieledobish. Follow SportsbookWire on X at SportsBookWire and on Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: UCLA Bruins at Minnesota Golden Gophers odds, picks and predictions
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