UCLA vs. Stanford Prediction, Pick, and Odds: Can Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins Bounce Back?

UCLA vs. Stanford Prediction, Pick, and Odds: Can Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins Bounce Back?

UCLA was handed its first loss on the road against tenth-ranked Oregon. Senior quarterback Dorian Thomson-Robinson didn't play terribly, but he couldn't do enough to keep up with Bo Nix and the high-flying Ducks' offense. The Bruins offense is still averaging 39.9 points per game, ranked 14th in the country, and it will return home where it's thrived all season.

Stanford has ground out consecutive low-scoring wins against Notre Dame and Arizona State in the last two weeks, relying on a tough-nosed defense and a strong rushing attack. Junior quarterback Tanner McKee is not shredding defenses apart, but he has a 63.1 completion percentage. Unfortunately, he'll be entering Week 8 without his top wideout, Michael Wilson, who sustained an injury last week that has yet to be disclosed. Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Saturday's late-night Pac-12 matchup between the Stanford Cardinal vs. UCLA Bruins.

UCLA vs. Stanford Start Time and Where to Watch

Date: Saturday, October 29

Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET

Where to Watch: ESPN

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UCLA vs. Stanford Odds

Spread: Stanford +16 (-110), UCLA -16 (-110)

Total: Under 63.5 (-110), Over 63.5 (-110)

Moneyline: Stanford (+610), UCLA (-670)

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UCLA vs. Stanford Injury Report

Stanford

WR Michael Wilson (Out - Undisclosed)

UCLA

DL Martin Andrus Jr. (Questionable - Leg)

UCLA vs. Stanford Prediction

These Pac-12 teams are on opposite sides of the conference entering Week 8, but Stanford finds itself with momentum after rattling off consecutive wins against Notre Dame and Arizona State. The Cardinal continues to be led by head coach David Shaw in his 12th season with the program, but the past few years have not seen more losses than wins. Tanner McKee has been good in spots, throwing for 320 yards against the Sun Devils in Week 8. It wasn't the quarterback play, as McKee committed an interception, but Stanford's defense that has allowed the team to find the win column.

UCLA's offense is a spread option scheme led by Chip Kelly and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is now in his fifth year with the Bruins. Before the loss in Eugene this past Saturday, "DTR" was beginning to improve his Heisman Trophy stock. The Bruins have scored at least 30 points in every game this season, including the 45-30 loss to the Ducks. It's their defense that is the Achilles heel for UCLA. They allowed Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to complete 78.6 percent of his pass attempts for 283 yards and five touchdowns while surrendering 5.7 YPC. It was a brutal display of defense and kept the Bruins' offense behind schedule throughout the game.

Stanford is a far cry from Oregon. McKee has thrown zero touchdowns and one interception during their two-game winning streak, while the rushing attack has been the preferred option with mixed results. The Cardinals are averaging under 4.0 YPC in four consecutive games and the passing attack has been efficient but lackluster in the red zone. The inability to score touchdowns has forced Stanford's defense to play to its ceiling, which will be difficult to replicate against DTR and UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet.

Charbonnet is a menace in UCLA's backfield, averaging 7.2 YPC and scoring seven touchdowns on the ground. DTR is just as lethal, averaging over 5.0 YPC and racking up four touchdowns as a ball carrier himself, forcing defenders to load the box, and opening up the passing attack. The last time these teams played in Pasadena, Stanford won outright as a seven-point underdog. The Cardinal also won 49-42 back in 2018, but their offense is much more one-dimensional now, especially without Wilson. Stanford's pass defense has held Notre Dame and Arizona State in check recently, but the Bruins are much more loaded with their offensive personnel.

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I like UCLA to have a nice bounce-back game against Stanford, who cannot muster any points when it matters. The Bruins are not a dynamic defense, but the Cardinal lost their top wideout and cannot establish the run, forcing McKee to drop back under pressure in long down-and-distance scenarios. Only Washington and Oregon have scored more than one passing touchdown against the Bruins this season. The Bruins will cover the spread as -16 point home favorites against a struggling Stanford offense.

UCLA vs. Stanford Pick

• Pick: UCLA -16 (-110) (Bet $110 to win $190)