College football bowl season continues as the Mountain West champion Boise State Broncos head to California to take on a 7-5 UCLA Bruins playing their final game as a Pac-12 team.
With UCLA winning the only previous meeting of the two teams, can the Broncos even the score on Saturday night? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and an LA Bowl prediction.
LA Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. Want to take advantage of the LA Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
UCLA -4 - Moneyline
UCLA -185, Boise State +154 - Over/under
49 points - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA - Predicted Weather at Kick
76 degrees, 5 mph winds, sunny and warm - How to Watch
ABC, FuboTV
Looking to bang some bucks on the Bruins? Perhaps the Broncos are a better team to bolster your bank balance with a bet? If you’re going to take advantage of the LA Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
With their historical head-to-head one-win advantage and elevated position in college football as a Power Five program, UCLA enters the game as a favorite despite the two teams being on an entirely different trajectory at the end of the 2023 college football season.
MORE: CFB Bowl Game Schedule
Football is a game of momentum as much as it is scheme and personnel, and Boise State definitely has that.
UCLA has won just two of their last five games, and has covered the spread just once in those five outings. Boise State on the other hands, has won their last four including the Mountain West Championship Game, covering each of those. They’ve already covered as a single-score underdog against Power Five opposition this fall.
This game has the potential to be a tightly fought game, impacted by transfer portal and NFL Draft opt-outs as we’ll discuss in our LA Bowl prediction.
Boise has the potential to cover, and win outright, but the points total is our least confident bet. UCLA is 2-10 hitting the over this season, while Boise is 9-4 in favor of the over. It could creep over, but not by much.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
UCLA Depth Chart | Boise State Depth Chart
- QB Ethan Garbers, UCLA
- QB CJ Tiller, Boise State
- RB T.J. Harden, UCLA
- RB Carson Steele, UCLA
- RB Colson Yankoff, UCLA
- RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- RB George Holani, Boise State
- RB Jambres Dubar, Boise State
- WR J. Michael Sturdivant, UCLA
- WR Logan Loya, UCLA
- WR Kyle Ford, UCLA
- WR Prince Strachan, Boise State
- WR Austin Bolt, Boise State
- WR Billy Bowens, Boise State
- TE Moliki Matavao, UCLA
- TE Riley Smith, Boise State
- TE Matt Lauter, Boise State
There are six college football games on Saturday to compile your DFS team from. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “Superflex” that can be any of the above or a tight end.
With all due respect, your LA Bowl picks aren’t likely to include the quarterback position. With Boise State starter Taylen Green transferring to Arkansas, the Broncos depth chart currently lists true freshman CJ Tiller at the QB1 spot. He hasn’t thrown a pass in his young collegiate career. The UCLA situation isn’t much better, with neither team inspiring confidence for DFS purposes.
MORE: Top UCLA and Boise State Players Not Playing in the LA Bowl
Conversely, there isn’t a better running back situation across this entire Saturday slate than at Boise. Ashton Jeanty has been a one-man wrecking ball to opposition defenses this season, and George Holani has chipped in with his fair share of big performances. Even against a solid UCLA run defense, the fantasy RB2 should get you plenty of points in the LA Bowl.
Points — both real and fantasy — have been hard to come by of late for the Bruins, making DFS picks and fantasy options tricky. Carson Steele is their top-scoring player with 149 points, but don’t sleep on T.J. Harden, who currently holds the RB1 spot on the UCLA depth chart. He was a juggernaut against USC and could be the spark plug Chip Kelly’s team needs in the LA Bowl.
Prediction for the LA Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the LA Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Can Boise State beat the odds and the Bruins on Saturday to cap their season off in style? Or will UCLA bid the Pac-12 a fond farewell with an LA Bowl win to remember them by?
UCLA has had one of the best defenses in the nation this fall, which kind of gets lost in the shuffle for a 7-5 team whose coach is perennially on the college coaching hot seat. They’ve allowed just 18.1 points per game, ranking 15th in the nation. No team has allowed fewer than the Bruins’ three scores given up to the ground game, while they’ve allowed just 2.33 yards per carry.
MORE: Top 10 Transfer Portal Departures From the Pac-12
That could be pivotal in a game set to be shaped by the ground game. Boise State’s offense is highly dependent on the run, with Jeanty and Holani alone accounting for nearly 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns. Slowing them down is key, but the Bruins must try to stop the unstoppable force without tackle-for-loss leader Laiatu Latu, who is NFL-bound.
Boise boasts their own backfield assassin in the form of Ahmed Hassanein, who will feature in the LA Bowl. The presence of their best defensive and offensive players, combined with UCLA’s offensive capitulation down the stretch of the season, should see the game swing in favor of the Broncos, who have been playing lights out for new head coach Spencer Danielson.
Prediction: UCLA 24, Boise State 27