The 2021 CFB season continues Saturday, October 2, with plenty of interesting Week 5 matchups around the country, so here’s the best Arizona State vs. UCLA betting pick, as the Sun Devils face off against the Bruins at Rose Bowl in Los Angeles with the kick-off at 10:30 PM ET.

The Bruins have won three of their last four encounters with the Sun Devils, covering on all four occasions. UCLA is a slight 3-point home fave for Saturday’s contest, while the totals sit at 55.0 runs on BetOnline Sportsbook.

Arizona State looks for its first road win in 2021       

The Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1; 1-3 ATS) are coming off a 35-13 home victory over the Colorado Buffaloes in Week 4. They held Colorado to just 250 total yards while racking up 439 in a return and easily covered a 14-point spread.

Junior QB Jayden Daniels had seven carries for 75 yards and a couple of scores against the Buffaloes. He completed 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 236 yards as well, while senior RB Rachaad White had 11 totes for 37 yards and a TD.

Through the first four weeks, the Sun Devils are scoring 32.5 per contest (tied-51st in the country) on 437.8 total yards (43rd). On the other side of the ball, they are surrendering 16.0 points (tied-20th) on 247.5 total yards per contest (tied-5th).

UCLA dominated Stanford in Week 4   

The UCLA Bruins (3-1; 3-1 ATS) bounced back from a tough 40-37 home loss to Fresno State in Week 3, outlasting the Stanford Cardinal last Saturday, 35-24, and covering a four-point spread. The Bruins racked up 455 total yards and yielded 360 in a return, allowing just 11 1st downs to their opponents.

Senior QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson leads the way for UCLA, tossing for 919 yards, nine touchdowns, and an interception through the first four weeks of the 2021 season. He’s also scored a couple of touchdowns on his own, while junior wideout Kyle Phillips has recorded 16 receptions for 294 yards and five scores.

UCLA is tallying 38.5 points per game this term (26th in the nation) while yielding 25.3 in a return (78th). Interestingly, their run D ranks fifth in the country, allowing only 64.0 yards per game, but their secondary ranks 127th with a whopping 330.3 yards allowed per contest.

Trends:

Arizona State:

  • 2-5 ATS in the last seven games played in October
  • 5-13 ATS in the last 18 games against UCLA 

UCLA:

  • 7-3 ATS in the last ten games overall
  • 5-2 ATS in the last seven tilts against Pac-12
  • 6-3 ATS in the last nine games played on Saturday 

Arizona State vs. UCLA Pick

The Sun Devils will have to lean on their passing game in this matchup, and I don’t think they’ll have enough firepower to outlast UCLA on the road. Arizona State is averaging 210.0 rushing yards per game, but the Sun Devils will have a mountain to climb against the Bruins’ front seven.

I’m still expecting a hard-fought battle, as the visitors should be able to slow down the Bruins’ powerful offense a bit and keep it close down the stretch. Still, the hosts should come out on top and extend their dominance over Arizona State.

Pick: Take UCLA -3.0 at -115      

The Total:

The under is 7-3 in Arizona State’s last ten games overall, and the Sun Devils will stand a chance in this one only if they put on a strong defensive performance. However, the Bruins have scored at least 35 points in each of their first four outings in 2021, and their previous three games have produced more than 55 points in total each.

Hereof, I’ll take the over that has hit in four of the last five meetings between Arizona State and UCLA in Los Angeles. The Bruins’ fragile secondary should allow the visitors to get their passing game going. 

Pick: Go over 55.0 points at -110