The No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions look to right the ship with a Week 6 trip to the Rose Bowl to face the floundering UCLA Bruins.
James Franklin needs to build some positivity within his program after an 0-4 start against the spread, and the Bruins represent the perfect opponent against whom to do just that.
See why I’m backing the Nittany Lions with my Penn State vs. UCLA predictions and college football picks for Saturday, October 4.
Penn State vs UCLA prediction
Penn State vs UCLA best bet: Penn State -24.5 (-115)
There are nightmare seasons, and then there’s whatever the UCLA Bruins are experiencing in 2025. After a disastrous 0-4 start, the program has parted ways with its head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator. It’s only going from bad to worse with the Penn State Nittany Lions in town, hungry after a loss to Oregon in the national spotlight.
The Nico Iamaleava experiment has been a bust — he’s thrown four touchdowns to three interceptions while averaging a measly 6.4 yards per attempt. Penn State’s ferocious defense will be happy to feast, especially against an offensive line that struggles in protection (113th in pass blocking grade, per PFF).
The Bruins have one of the worst defenses in the nation. They rank dead last in success rate allowed, failing to stop the run (134th) or the pass (130th). The defensive front gets no push (dead last in stuff rate, second-last in line yards), so Penn State should be able to establish its identity on the road.
James Franklin has a perfect spot for his squad to get right. He’s known for losing the big games but squashing overmatched opponents, and it’s evident this game is of the latter variety.
Penn State vs UCLA same-game parlay
There’s a plausible game script in which Penn State gets out to an early lead and then James Franklin sits on it for the rest of the game. It’s the same game plan that he’s been following for much of his 12 years in Happy Valley when facing overmatched opponents.
UCLA is 1-3 O/U despite its miserable defense, indicating that Nico and the offense aren’t generating much pushback.
Penn State vs UCLA SGP
- Under 50.5
- Penn State -24.5
- Penn State first half -13.5
Our deep-ball SGP: Lions roar
The Nittany Lions have Northwestern on deck, making this less of a lookahead spot and more of a smash spot.
Penn State vs UCLA SGP
- Penn State -24.5
- Under 50.5
- Penn State first half -13.5
- Penn State fourth quarter -6.5
- First half Under 26.5
Penn State vs UCLA odds
- Spread: Penn State -24.5 | UCLA +24.5
- Moneyline: Penn State -3000 | UCLA +1300
- Over/Under: Over 50.5 | Under 50.5
Penn State vs UCLA trend to know
UCLA has covered the spread just once in its last seven games. Find more college football betting trends for Penn State vs UCLA.
How to watch Penn State vs UCLA
| Location | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA |
| Date | Saturday, October 4, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | CBS |
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