4. Washington at UCLA
LINE Washington -3
ATS PICK Washington
As a colleague said to me last week, “never underestimate the ability of UCLA to underwhelm.”
I didn’t buy it, it was my No. 1 against the spread pick last week against Colorado, and all was right with the world.
However, the South Alabama game should’ve been a Bruin loss. All turned out fine against Bowling Green, but the start was shaky, and beating Alabama State was, well, beating Alabama State.
The team is playing well, though. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is hitting 73% of his throws, the running game is solid, and the defense is taking the ball away.
Yeah, all that, and it’s 4-0 against a schedule full of lukewarm oatmeal.
Not that South Alabama isn’t a good Sun Belt team, but when that’s your best win – yeah, over the trip to Colorado – it’s not inspiring.
Meanwhile, Washington rolled right through Michigan State and Stanford without a problem, it’s all clicking, and in a lot of ways this has been one of the most impressive all-around teams in the country over the first month of the season.
So what’s the problem? It’s UW’s first road game, and it feels like UCLA is overdue for one of those rise-up-and-rock performances it sometimes has under Chip Kelly, and …
Nah. If Washington plays like it did over the last few games, the three isn’t a problem.
Oh yeah, and it also rolled 45-20 over Kent State, which is apparently the second coming of 1995 Nebraska after last week …