Traditionally, the Holiday Bowl has been one of the most exciting of college football’s postseason spectacles and the 2021 version on December 28th shouldn’t disappoint, pitting the 18th ranked 9-3 N.C. State Wolfpack against the 8-4 UCLA Bruins, a program that returns to a bowl game for the first time since 2017 in head coach Chip Kelly’s fourth year at the helm. Both teams can score points, although N.C. State has a distinct advantage over the Bruins on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s take a closer look at the upcoming match between NC State and UCLA so you can bet against the College Football Bowl odds.
NC State Wolfpack Vs UCLA Bruins Betting Analysis – San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl Odds
Betting Lines and Odds at MyBookie Online Sportsbook
- Spread: N.C. State – 1.5 (-110), UCLA +1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: N.C. State -125, UCLA +105
- Total: 60 (-110 o/u)
N.C. State Wolfpack Betting Preview
After a 27-21 win over ninth-ranked Clemson early in the season, it appeared that N.C. State had finally cleared the hurdle to enable them to break the Tigers’ hold on the ACC Atlantic division, only to suffer losses to Miami and Wake Forest by a total of four total points that eventually left them in second place in the division. The Wolfpack still had a successful season and are a Holiday win away from their first double-digit win season since 2002 and their second on in the history of their football program.
The NC State offense is led by quarterback Devin Leary, who threw for 35 touchdowns while tossing just five interceptions and completing 65% of his passes. Defensively, the Wolfpack are allowing just under 20 points a game and held half of their conference opponents to 17 points or less after opening the season with a 45-0 beat down of South Florida.
UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
The Bruins have an exciting player in Dorian Thompson-Robinson (DTR), a dual-threat quarterback who threw for 21 touchdowns while running for another nine scores and leads a balanced attack that generates almost as many yards on the ground as they do through the air. They average almost 37 points a game, which is 16th in the FBS and impressive for a team that controls the ball so well with an elite rushing game.
UCLA was able to shrug off a 34-31 loss to Oregon and a 44-24 defeat at Utah to reel off three wins in a row, including a 62-33 beat down at cross-town rival USC. The vulnerability for the Bruins is on the defensive side of the ball, giving up 33 points in five games and over 40 in three contests in their 2021 campaign, putting pressure on DTR and the offense to keep pace, which they were unable to do in their four losses.
Holiday Bowl Betting Pick and Prediction
The West Coast teams generally have a significant advantage, especially with the teams from the east showing up in the sunshine and great weather of Southern California, with that travel issue possibly factoring into the outcome of the Holiday Bowl. This matchup really comes down to the fact that two teams with comparable offenses are playing each other but one of them, N.C. State, has a demonstrably better defense, especially against the pass.
Prediction: N.C. State 38 UCLA 34
Pick: NC State -1.5, Over 60