Arizona State Sun Devils vs. UCLA Bruins Betting Odds, College Football Pick

Arizona State is 0-4 against the spread this season and just 1-7 ATS over its last eight games stretching back to late last season. Were the Sun Devils overrated coming into this campaign? And after getting blown out by USC at home last week, things don't get any easier for Arizona State as it heads to Los Angeles to take on UCLA on Saturday evening at the Rose Bowl.

Point spread: Bruins opened as 13-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 38.1-22.2 Bruins

Why the Arizona State Sun Devils can cover the spread

ASU is 2-2 on the season but is coming off a puzzling effort last week, a 42-14 loss at home to Southern Cal. The Sun Devils fell down early and had a chance to cut into the lead and gain some momentum just before halftime, but a fumble was returned 94 yards for a Trojans defensive score. Another fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave USC another touchdown and ASU never recovered.

On the day, the Sun Devils outrushed the Trojans 182-76 and held a 32-28 edge in time of possession, but four turnovers and two missed field goals did them in.

Arizona State had won its previous two games, albeit against Cal-Poly and New Mexico, by a combined score of 69-31. If it can just eliminate the mistakes, the Sun Devils might be ripe for a bounce-back effort this week.

Why the UCLA Bruins can cover the spread

UCLA is 4-0 SU and 2-1-1 ATS following last week's 56-30 victory at Arizona. The Bruins spotted the Wildcats the first touchdown of the game, then scored the next four to take control. On the day, UCLA racked up 497 yards of offense, ran for 213 yards and turned three Arizona turnovers into touchdowns. That seems like a good way to win a football game on the road.

Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw for 284 yards and two scores without a pick, which was a welcome improvement after his performance against BYU two weeks ago.

The Bruins opened this season with a 34-16 victory over Virginia, although they gave up the cover as 18-point favorites when they allowed a meaningless score with three minutes left in the game. They then beat UNLV 37-3, covering at -32.

UCLA took a hit last week when it lost linebacker Myles Jack for the season to a knee injury, but it's next-man-up for the talented Bruins in their quest for a division title.

Smart pick

At first glance the outcome of this game might seem obvious, but sometimes obvious is a bad bet. And one of the worst things bettors can do is base bets solely on what happened last week. If this game were lined before the season started, UCLA might only be favored by four or five points. The Bruins might still win this game, but the smart choice here is with Arizona State, plus the points.

Betting trends

The total has gone over in Arizona State's last five games against UCLA.

Arizona State is 0-6 ATS in its last six games.

UCLA is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.