UCLA football opens as underdogs against Indiana in Week 3

Who comes out on top?

The UCLA Bruins take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday. If you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds, and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest, safest bet.

The Big Ten opener for the Bruins starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

The Hoosiers sit at a perfect 2-0 ahead of the matchup, while the Bruins are 1-0, coming off a Week 2 bye. The Big Ten opener for both programs, a lot is on the line for two teams with bowl game aspirations and positioning in the conference.

UCLA vs Indiana Betting Odds

  • Point spread: Indiana (-3)
  • Money Line: Indiana (-155), UCLA (+130)
  • Over-under: 46.5 (-110)

UCLA Key Players

  • QB Ethan Garbers: 272 PASSING YARDS / 50 CMP% / 1 TD
  • WR Rico Flores Jr.: 103 YARDS / 3 REC / 1 TD
  • DB K.J. Wallace: 7 TOT / 1 SACK / 4 PD

Indiana Key Players

  • QB Kurtis Rourke: 448 PASSING YARDS / 73.2 CMP% / 3 TDS
  • RB Justice Ellison: 185 YARDS / 19 CAR / 2 TDs
  • LB Aiden Fischer: 21 TOT / 7 SOLO / 1 SACK

Advice and Prediction

The Indiana offense, so far, averages 54 points per game in 2024, but those numbers are deceiving, having played only FIU and Western Illinois. Expect their offense to have a rude awakening against the opportunistic UCLA defense. The game is likely to be close, so taking the under on 46.5 is a safe bet and sets the stage for a low-scoring barn burner in Pasadena.

Prediction: UCLA wins 24-21

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Indiana star WR expected to play vs. UCLA

A big boost for Indiana…

The UCLA Bruins football program begins the Big Ten Conference era with a home game against Indiana. However, the Hoosiers are the common favorites among many experts, especially after UCLA’s flat Week 1 win at Hawaii. 

To make things more difficult for UCLA, Indiana got some big news on standout wide receiver Donaven McCulley, who is expected to play in the game, per Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

Indiana standout wide receiver Donaven McCulley is expected to play in the Hoosiers’ Big Ten opener vs. UCLA tomorrow, a source tells @247sports/@CBSSports. The 6-foot-5 McCulley, who was honorable mention All-Big Ten last year, had missed last week due to an injury from Week 1.”

McCulley had just one catch in Week 1 and missed Week 2 due to an injury, so this is a big boost for the Hoosiers.

UCLA-Indiana labeled ‘must-watch’ Big Ten game in Week 3

UCLA-Indiana could be a fun one.

The Big Ten Conference has a lot of intriguing games in Week 3, including the Apple Cup and Civil War rivalry games being renewed despite the Pac-12 exodus.

Jeff Hicks of College Sports Wire mandated five Big Ten Conference games as must-watch, and UCLA-Indiana was third on the list.

UCLA may have to travel at one of the highest rates in college football, but they get the honor of welcoming the first Midwest team to the west coast.

The Bruins had a lot to fix during their bye week, including forming a game plan for QB Ethan Garbers. A Jekyll & Hyde home opener may not produce a win against the Hoosiers after the confidence-boosting 77-3 win over Western Illinois Week 2.

The senior is 13 passes away from attempting the second-most in one season despite getting into 15 games over 3-plus seasons. Garbers didn’t start every one of those games, but there is a reason he wasn’t a starter until year four.

The two games ahead of this one is the Oregon-Oregon State Civil War game and then Alabama facing Wisconsin in Madison with Big Noon Kickoff also on hand at Camp Randall Stadium.

Week 3 College Football: Where ESPN College GameDay and Big Noon Kickoff?

Week 3 is almost here!

The college football season is already flying by heading into Week 3.

After ESPN and Fox took to Collge Station, Texas, and Morgantown, West Virginia, the gameday crews are on the move yet again. This week, ESPN’s College GameDay heads to Columbia, South Carolina, where the unranked South Carolina Gamecocks take on #17 LSU. On Fox, the Big Noon Kickoff will be in Madison, Wisconsin, where the Badgers will take on #4 Alabama.

The Badgers will take on one of their toughest opponents in the season, the Crimson Tide. It is an opportunity for the Badgers to cause college football chaos, but will likely result in a loss, with Alabama favored by 16.5 points. For the Gamecocks, they can all but squash LSU’s playoff hopes with a win, having already lost to Big Ten rival USC.

The Bruins, on the other hand, take on their first opponent in the Big Ten, Indiana. The first glimpse fans will get at the Bruins in Big Ten play, a lot is riding on their opener in the conference.

UCLA offers Indiana commit ahead of Big Ten matchup

Interesting timing…

Ahead of UCLA’s Big Ten opener against Indiana, the Bruins made an offer to a player already committed to the Hoosiers. Was UCLA’s move a mind game or much ado about nothing?

The Bruins offered four-star 2025 Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances cornerback Byron Baldwin, only a few days before UCLA takes the field against Indiana.

Committed to the Hoosiers since April, UCLA upped the ante of their offer ahead of their matchup with Indiana, only increasing the stakes of their first Big Ten contest under first-year head coach DeShaun Foster.

Baldwin, at an NCAA-sized  6′ 1″ and 190 pounds, fielded offers from other Big Ten teams such as Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Now, the Bruins are firmly in the mix as well.

Though the outcome of UCLA’s game against Indiana may not immediately sway Baldwin’s opinion, the grass is always greener. If the Bruins can win their first game in the Big Ten with a similarly strong defensive performance as their win over Hawai’i, there is a chance that the outcome could make an impact on Baldwin’s future.

A future that could potentially be in Westwood.

UCLA’s Big Ten opponent loses starting OL

A tough blow for Indiana.

The UCLA Bruins football program is about to begin a new chapter with its debut season in the Big Ten Conference.

The Bruins have a tough schedule this season, and its first Big Ten game comes on September 14 against the Indiana Hoosiers at the Rose Bowl.

The injury bug hit the Hoosiers before the beginning of the season as Nick Kidwell, the projected starter at right guard, was ruled out for the season, per Pete Thamel of ESPN.

“Source: Indiana’s Nick Kidwell, the projected starter at right guard, will miss the 2024 season with a knee injury. He’d started 34 games at James Madison prior to transferring to IU and projected to be a linchpin on Indiana’s offensive line.”

New Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti, who came over after a magnificent run at James Madison, had been familiar with Kidwell. The veteran OL started 34 games before joining the Hoosiers and was expected to be a big piece upfront.

Now, things look much different.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti’s UCLA comments go viral at Big Ten media days

Curt Cignetti’s honest take on going to UCLA.

There was some instant bulletin board material for the UCLA Bruins last week at the Big Ten media day. Head coach at Indiana Curt Cignetti had some interesting words about his first Big Ten matchup against the UCLA Bruins.

The 63-year-old may not be the best to be trash-talking other conference schools, as he has yet to coach a game at Indiana. The former James Madison head coach is coming off a 12-2 season a year ago, before getting hired in November of 2023 by Indiana.

Cignetti was asked what it would be like for his Hoosiers to start their Big Ten season in Pasadena. This is what the head coach had to say, per Zion Brown of The Indianapolis Star.

” “We’re just going to an old stadium to kick somebody’s (butt),” Cignetti said. “When I say that, that’s not directed toward UCLA. That’s the objective every week. Look, I know that 1967, we were there and we haven’t been there since and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We’re not going out on a cruise or for a tour. We’re going out to play a football game. We got a job to do.”

Before the game against UCLA on September 14th, the Hoosiers have two home games. Indiana should be favored to win both games as they host Florida International on August 31st and Western Illinois on September 6th.

The Hoosiers went 3-9 last season, and 1-8 in Big Ten play. It was the final season for head coach Tom Allen, who was there for 7 seasons.

Indiana Football Schedule 2022: 3 Things To Know

Indiana football schedule. The 2022 schedule with 3 things to know

Indiana football schedule 2022: Who does Indiana miss on the Big Ten schedule and what are 3 things to know?


Indiana Football Schedule 2022

Sept 3 Illinois

Sept 10 Idaho

Sept 17 WKU

Sept 24 at Cincinnati

Oct 1 at Nebraska

Oct 8 Michigan

Oct 15 Maryland

Oct 22 at Rutgers

Oct 29 OPEN DATE

Nov 5 Penn State

Nov 12 at Ohio State

Nov 19 at Michigan State

Nov 26 Purdue

2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Indiana Football Schedule What To Know: Who do the Hoosiers miss from the Big Ten West Division?

It’s about as nice as could be asked for.

There’s no Northwestern from the West, but missing Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota is fantastic. There’s always the rivalry date against Purdue, and going to Nebraska won’t be easy, but kicking the season off at home against Illinois is solid.

Against the East, Michigan is coming to Bloomington, and the Penn State game is at home coming off a week off, but the date with The Nittany Lions is followed up by road games against Ohio State and Michigan State.

Indiana Football Schedule What To Know: No, the Hoosiers aren’t playing a Power Five team with the non-conference schedule, but …

In general, it’s not right to play a non-conference schedule without a game against another Power Five program, but in this case Indiana is given a pass.

No, home games against Idaho and WKU shouldn’t be taxing, but having to go to Cincinnati – even if this won’t be the Bearcat team of last year – makes up for it.

Indiana Football Schedule What To Know: What does it all really mean?

Considering how bad Indiana was last year, it can’t take anything for granted and can’t get too excited quite yet, but the schedule has enough winnable dates to get over 2021 and push for at least six wins.

Beat Illinois at home, and it should be a 3-0 start before everything starts to get tough. November is a bear, so most of the work has to be done before late October off week – beating Maryland and home and winning on the road at Rutgers could be a must.

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

WATCH: Chris Olave makes a spectacular, yet smooth catch in the end zone against Indiana

Watch Chris Olave haul in another touchdown as Ohio State is rolling Indiana right now. #GoBucks

Even in the rain, C.J. Stroud is dropping dimes. Midway through the second quarter, Stroud has already thrown for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The latest TD coming by way of a 16-yard pinpoint pass to Chris Olave in the back of the end zone.

Olave ran a perfect route, as usual, timed his jump, and made a difficult catch look rather ordinary, beating the Indiana defensive back. This offense is loaded and just too many playmakers to account for everyone.

We thought the Buckeyes could put up some big points against the IU defense, but at this rate, it’s getting out of hand quickly as the Hoosiers have no answer for the Ohio State offense.

Watch Olave’s incredible catch below.

Ohio State has scored another touchdown is now up 37-7 over Indiana with just over five minutes to play in the half.

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WATCH: TreVeyon Henderson scamper in for a touchdown against Indiana

Watch TreVeyon Henderson go 21 yards to give Ohio State the lead back. #GoBucks

The Ohio State offensive line is opening up gaping holes for the running backs early in the Indiana game. Thayer Munford and Paris Johnson Jr. gave TreVeyon Henderson a clear path to the endzone for the second Buckeye touchdown of the day.

The line opened up a hole for Miyan Williams on the first Ohio State drive of the game that gave the Buckeyes the lead. The OSU offense is humming and it all starts with the guys in the trenches.

Look for the Buckeyes to continue dominating at the line of scrimmage as the No. 1 rated offense in the country tries to keep pace with the rest of the top teams in the nation and work its way back into the College Football Playoff.

Watch Henderson’s scamper below.

The Buckeyes are on the move again and looking to add more to the scoreboard on this rainy night in Bloomington.

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