This Friday night we have a classic Pac12 After Dark match-up between the 4-0 #15 Washington Huskies and the also 4-0 but unranked UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. The line set for this game favors the Huskies by 2.5 points, with the total set at 64.5 points. Let’s dive into these two teams and find the right play for some positive momentum and a little money to play with heading into a great Saturday slate.
After a disappointing 4-8 season last year for the Huskies that saw their head coach Jimmy Lake fired after 9 games, Washington brought in Kalen DeBoer from Fresno State to serve at the helm and added former Indiana University Quarterback Michael Penix, Jr via the transfer portal.
These two new additions have led the 2022 Huskies to a great start to their season, already matching their win total from last year just four weeks into the season, including a win over then #11 Michigan State in Week 3, vaulting them to #15 in the AP poll.
By comparison, after an 8-4 season that sadly ended in their berth to the Holiday Bowl being cancelled due to COVID complications, UCLA brings back head coach Chip Kelly and QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson as one of the most experienced QB-Coach duos in all of college football.
The team that we’ll be backing this Friday is Washington, as while these teams have the same record, their paths to get there have been very different. After two blowout wins against Kent State and Portland State, Washington beat #11 Michigan State 39-28—after leading 39-14 midway through the fourth quarter before two garbage time touchdowns—and handled a middle of the pack Stanford team 40-22 in Week 4.
On the other side, UCLA has marched through an incredibly easy schedule of Bowling Green, Alabama State, Southern Alabama, and the lowly Colorado for their first Pac12 contest. UCLA even struggled with Southern Alabama—their highest ranked opponent thus far—winning on a last second field goal 32-31 (after Southern Alabama elected to attempt a fake field goal pass with under 2 minutes left instead of taking the points that would have put them up 5).
UCLA’s defense has yet to come up with a red zone stop against FBS teams, and I believe this is a Huskies offense that will find themselves in the red zone a lot after averaging 530 yards of offense through four games. Washington has just shown more against better competition through these first four weeks, and while it is their first game away from home, DeBoer and Penix, Jr. are going to be motivated to show the college football world that this 4-0 start wasn’t a fluke.
While the spread is small at -2.5, were going to suggest taking the points out of the occasion and riding with Washington on the money line at -140 (okay up to -150 depending on the lines your book offers), as we all know those Pac12 After Dark games can get wacky with the scoring and we’d rather sit back and enjoy the Huskies’ win rather than sweat a cover.
Official Play: Washington Huskies ML -140
(Photo: Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times)
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