UCLA vs. Boise State odds, line, spread: 2023 LA Bowl picks, predictions from expert on 11-2 roll

The Boise State Broncos will attempt to keep up the Mountain West Conference's run of dominance in the LA Bowl on Saturday when they face the UCLA Bruins. The Broncos (8-5) got hot down the stretch and captured their fifth Mountain West title. The Bruins (7-5) hope to salvage a disappointing campaign that saw them drop three of their final four games. The LA Bowl is in its third year, and the previous two saw Mountain West teams defeat their Pac-12 opponents. Last year, Fresno State routed Washington State 29-6, and the inaugural LA Bowl in 2021 saw Utah State upend Oregon State 24-13. Boise State will be without quarterback Taylen Green, who is transferring to Arkansas, while UCLA quarterback Dante Moore is in the portal as well.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from SoFi Stadium. The Bruins are 5.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 47 in the latest UCLA vs. Boise State odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Boise State vs. UCLA picks, .

Nagel is the SportsLine assistant managing editor and a Nevada-based handicapper with more than 25 years of experience in the sports wagering industry. He posted another winning season for SportsLine members this year and has netted his followers a documented profit of more than $1,500 over the past three seasons.

Moreover, he has a strong understanding of the Mountain West Conference and has gone 11-2 in his past 13 Boise State picks for a profit of $880. This includes a current 6-0 streak of Boise State against-the-spread college football picks. This recent stretch includes advising SportsLine members to back Boise State (-3.5) against Utah State in Week 11. The Broncos cruised to a 45-10 victory to give Nagel's followers an easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen profitable returns.  

Now, Nagel has set his sights on UCLA vs. Boise State and locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and betting lines for Boise State vs. UCLA:

• UCLA vs. Boise State point spread: UCLA -5.5
• UCLA vs. Boise State over/under total points: 47
• UCLA vs. Boise State money line: UCLA -222, Boise State +181
• UCLA: The Bruins have covered the point spread once in their past five games.
• BSU: The Broncos are 1-2-1 against the spread as an underdog this season.
• UCLA vs. Boise State picks: See picks at SportsLine
• UCLA vs. Boise State live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why UCLA can cover

Although the Bruins have been felled by inconsistent offensive production, owing largely to erratic quarterback play, they have relied on a sterling defense that has been one of the top units in the country. They rank second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 18.1 points per game, behind only Oregon at 17.3 points per game.

Earlier this week, the program made the expected announcement that top defensive end Laiatu Latu is skipping the LA Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft. The senior has a team-leading 13 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

However, the Bruins have plenty of remaining defensive stalwarts. Senior linebacker Darius Muasau has 37 solo tackles, four sacks, five passes defended and an interception. Junior defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy has recorded seven sacks and 21 solo tackles.

Offensively, UCLA's power-based rushing attack ranks No. 22 in the country with 191 yards per contest. Junior Carson Steele leads the way with 847 yards and six touchdowns. See which team to pick here.

Why Boise State can cover 

The morale of a program is usually a defining factor in the outcome of bowl games, and there's little doubt the edge in this regard lies with Boise State. The Broncos appeared headed toward their worst season in recent memory following their loss to Colorado State. The program parted ways with Andy Avalos and promoted Spencer Danielson, who was the defensive coordinator for three seasons.

At one point, analytics suggested Boise State had a less than 1% chance of winning the Mountain West title. But their late-season surge, coinciding with Fresno State's collapse, gave the Broncos the opportunity to play for the title.

UNLV in Las Vegas, the Boise State administration announced in the locker room that Danielson would be promoted to permanent head coach. The players burst into a loud ovation and swarmed Danielson, who became the first interim coach in FBS history to lead a team to a conference championship.

Conversely, several media outlets reported weeks ago that UCLA planned to part ways with coach Chip Kelly. However, following the regular-season finale, the school announced that Kelly will remain with the Bruins. See which team to pick here.

How to make Boise State vs. UCLA picks

Nagel is leaning Under on the total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.