Penn State football: UCLA odds, injury report, & predictions

Penn State football will cap off four straight games in Beaver Stadium on Saturday by welcoming UCLA to town.  The Nittany Lions are heavy favorites against the Bruins and will look to gain momentum heading into the rest of Big Ten play.

Injury Report

Penn State:

Penn State football players out indefinitely with “significant” or “long-term” injuries:

• KJ Winston, S
• Andrew Rappleyea, TE
• Peter Gonzalez, WR
• Jaxon Smolik, QB
• Keon Wylie, LB
• Zuriah Fisher, DE
• Cam Wallace, RB

Penn State football players listed on the program’s Week 5 injury report. Please note that the Big Ten requires updated availability reports to be released two hours before kickoff:

• Kari Jackson, LB
• Mason Robinson, DE
• Sam Siafa, DL
• Liam Andrews, DT
• De’Andre Cook, DT
• T.A. Cunningham, DT
• Dom DeLuca, LB
• Ethan Black, WR

Additionally, offensive linemen Sal Wormley and JB Nelson and cornerback Jalen Kimber were all sidelined in last week’s contest against Illinois. James Franklin expressed optimism that DeLuca, Wormley, and Kimber would return during media availability this week.

UCLA:

The following players were listed on the UCLA injury report for Week 5:

• Donavan Pellot
• Kanye Clark
• Ale Kaho
• Titus Atimalala
• Dermaricus Davis
• Braden Pagen
• DJ Justice
• Deshun Murrell
• Tryoy Leigber
• Tre Edwards
• Joquarri Price
• Jordan Abarca
• Gary Smith
• Oluwafunto Akinshilo
• Marquise Thorpe-Taylor
• Hudson Habermehl
• Sam Summa
• Jacob Busic
• Keanu Williams
• Jack Clarke
• Kory Symington

UCLA starting quarterback Ethan Garbers has also been questionable this week after suffering an injury against Oregon. As of Wednesday, Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster had not made a decision regarding Garbers’ status.

Betting Odds (all via DraftKings Sportsbook):

Spread: Penn State (-28.5) vs. UCLA

Penn State enters this matchup as a heavy favorite against its new Big Ten foe. Penn State is 12-6 against the spread in its last 18 games but is 2-4 against the spread in its last 6 home games.

Moneyline: Penn State football -8,000

Placing a $8,000 bet on Penn State to beat UCLA would pay $100. UCLA leads the all-time series 4-2. The last meeting was a 21-6 Nittany Lion win in Los Angeles in 1968. That capped off a six-year home-and-home series between the Nittany Lions and Bruins from 1963-1968.

Game total: over/under 46.5

The total has gone under in six of Penn State’s last eight games and in nine of UCLA’s last eleven games.

Penn State vs. UCLA game predictions: (5-3)

© Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State will close out a month at home with a team limping into Beaver Stadium with many injuries and traveling across multiple time zones.

UCLA landed in State College Friday afternoon and must be ready for kickoff at 9 a.m. West Coast time. Fighting their body clocks in addition to their opponents, there’s a new reality for the West Coast teams playing in the Big Ten.

The travel and injuries are why I think Penn State football rolls in this game. This is a classic look-ahead spot for the Nittany Lions, with a ranked matchup against USC next week. Pair that with an emotional win over Illinois in primetime last week, and I think the team could start slow.

However, UCLA is one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and has lost by at least 17 points to Indiana, LSU, and Oregon in its last three games after squeaking by Hawaii 16-13 in Week 1.

Penn State won’t have to rely on kicker Sander Sahaydak too much in this one, as I see the offense finding the end zone multiple times before the final whistle blows. James Franklin should be able to get his second string into the game early in the fourth quarter and rest up any key starters with injuries who will definitely be needed against USC next weekend.

Prediction: Penn State 42 – UCLA 7

Big Ten bet of the Week: (1-3)

No. 23 Indiana (-13.5) vs. Northwestern – 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN

I finally got off the mat with Nebraska beating Purdue 28-10 to cover the 10-point spread last week. It wasn’t the easiest win, as the score was tied 0-0 at the half and was 7-3 after the third quarter. But the Cornhuskers turned it on in the fourth to bounce back and get the win.

This week, I like Indiana -13.5 against Northwestern. The Wildcats will be playing on their home (practice) field on the lake, and the winds will certainly be blowing. But I believe in this Hoosier team and see them putting up points regardless. This game could very well finish 21-3. Regardless of it being low-scoring, Indiana should cover.

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