NFL Week 16 Opening Line Report
December 21, 2021
NBA Hot and Cold – 12/21
December 21, 2021
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly does things his own way. A decade ago, he devised the most terrifying offense in college football history at Oregon. While there, Kelly nearly won the national championship. Although the rest of college football eventually caught up, Kelly’s UCLA offense was the best in the Pac-12 Conference this season. The Bruins had a breakout year with the College Football Odds in 2021. But the pace of UCLA’s success was too slow for some of their fans. Further irritation comes from Kelly’s mediocre ratings on the recruiting trail. But after talking with Oregon about a return, he remains in Westwood. December 28, the Bruins will face the NC State Wolfpack in the Holiday Bowl.
Betting on College Football – 2021 Holiday Bowl
On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, the UCLA Bruins will face the NC State Wolfpack in the SDCCU Holiday Bowl. Petco Park in San Diego, California, will host the game. Kickoff time is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX. The SugarHouse Sportsbook line opened with NC State as a 1.5-point NCAA Football Odds favorite and a total of 59.5.
Betmaker Betting Odds Analysis
The small NC State College Football Betting price is based on what the public perceives as a relatively even game. Neither team was able to earn the full trust of gamblers.
A great example of the trust factor was NC State beating Clemson, yet losing to Miami-FL and Wake Forest in games this year. And a 24-10 loss early in the year at Mississippi State was quite disheartening. Gamblers often threw up their hands in bewilderment at such NC State results.
In the same way, UCLA mauled LSU in their season opener. But among the Bruin losses were winnable games against Group of Five Fresno State and a mediocre Arizona State team.
Because of the inability to get a solid feel on either team, live betting figures to draw plenty of action.
NC State Wolfpack
NC State brings a record of 9-3 straight up, 7-5 against the NCAAF Betting Odds, and 7-5 over the total. The Wolfpack has covered the spread in three of their most recent five games. NC State has cleared the total in their last three outings. The Wolfpack has shown good balance with rankings of 32nd in the nation for scoring offense and 18th for points allowed.
Sophomore quarterback Devin Leary was one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in 2021. Leary threw for a 157.0 QB rating, 3443 yards passing, 8.0 yards per pass, and a spectacular 35/5 TD/INT ratio.
Running backs Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person Jr kept defenses honest with averages of at least 4.7 yards per rush. And then receivers Emeka Emezie and Thayer Thomas each caught at least 51 passes.
Head coach Dave Doeren is often a source of frustration with NC State fans. But this season is one of his best. Most important of all, Doeren gets the Wolfpack into bowl games almost every year.
UCLA Bruins
On the whole, it was a successful season for the UCLA Bruins. UCLA finished 8-4 straight up and a profitable 8-4 vs. the NCAA Vegas Odds. UCLA was 7-5 over the total this season. The offense was a true asset for the Bruins, with a ranking of 16th in the nation for scoring. Defense remains a source of frustration, with a ranking of 75th in the country for points allowed. UCLA enters this game with three consecutive payouts. The Bruins have gone over the total in four of their most recent five games.
Senior quarterback Dorian Thompson Robinson triggered the Bruins attack. Thompson amassed a 153.9 QB rating with 2409 yards passing, 8.5 yards per attempt, and a 21/6 TD/INT ratio. DTR added 609 yards rushing with nine touchdowns.
Another key contributor was junior running back Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet rushed for a team-best 1137 yards, 5.56 yards per rush, and 13 touchdowns.
2021 Holiday Bowl Pick
In this matchup, the difference should be the NC State defense. UCLA faces the prospect of being lit up by Devin Leary. NC State is the more complete team with a deeper arsenal in this game.
Holiday Bowl Free Pick: NC State Wolfpack
Every day through January, the Top College Football odds and picks can be accessed and made at SugarHouse.
