Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: UCLA at Utah

College Picks

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen (3) passes the ball against Hawaii during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Pasadena, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. UCLA won 56-23.

We’ve entered the fourth season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won back-to-back titles in the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 seasons, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.

UCLA plus-7 at Utah: $330 to win $300

The vast majority of bettors are staying away from the Bruins tonight because of uncertainty on whether quarterback Josh Rosen will play.

I’d rather run toward the danger, and that’s because I think it’s overstated. Rosen is one of the best players in the nation, and I hope he’s behind center, but if not, this bet is far from torpedoed with backup Devon Modster.

The freshman was highly touted coming out of high school and played well in limited action last week against Washington, a team with a far better defense than Utah. The Utes are in the midst of a collapse, losing their last four games, including each of the last two by 20 points or more.

UCLA has its own problems, but many of them have been addressed as the season has gone on. The defense is now just plain bad, a step up from the beginning of the season when it was one of the worst in the nation.

No matter who ends up at quarterback, a touchdown is too many points on the betting line in this game between a pair of mediocre, though evenly matched, Pac 12 opponents.

Current Standings: Granger (8-8, $11,575), Keefer (12-11-1, $9,971), Brewer (12-12, $8,870), Grimala (5-7, $8,055)

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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