College Football Betting Props: Win Total Odds Analysis for UCLA, TCU

When breaking down 2015 college football win totals and trying to assess best bets for the upcoming season, one of the most important factors to address is the juice you might need to lay to wager on the over or under when favored.

For this reason, bettors would be wise to look for value on the underdog side of the equation and hope oddsmakers missed the boat when setting their opening numbers.

However, one school that stands out this year with the same number on both sides for a pick’em at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark is the UCLA Bruins at nine over/under (20-23). The Bruins appear to be undervalued despite being public darlings because they underachieved last season.

Former UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley was an early Heisman Trophy candidate but left school early after his junior year and went from being a potential first-round pick in the NFL draft to a fifth-round pick. The Bruins finished with a 10-3 record last season, but that included a 40-35 win over the Kansas State Wildcats in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Keep in mind that conference championships and bowl games do not count in the final win total tally at most sportsbooks, so make sure to check the rules.

This year, UCLA has one of the most prized freshmen in the country replacing Hundley in Josh Rosen. The Bruins are hoping the buzz around Rosen will help them play a lot better at the Rose Bowl this season after going just 3-3 there compared to 5-0 on the road.

If this team comes together and the offensive line protects Rosen better than it did Hundley, then going over nine wins is a solid play for this top Pac-12 contender.

Another school that looks to be over-hyped in 2015 is the Big 12’s TCU Horned Frogs at 10 over (2-3).

Even though the Horned Frogs are coming off a 12-win season and should be motivated after missing the College Football Playoff a year ago, they have tough road games against the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners along with a difficult home matchup with the Baylor Bears in their home finale.

TCU going 9-3 does not seem like a long shot, although the betting odds have that possibility listed at 6-5.

With quarterback Trevone Boykin getting a lot of love as the early Heisman Trophy favorite, the Horned Frogs are receiving more media attention than ever. That has a tendency to backfire, so take a shot on the under with value.

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.