UCLA Bruins vs. Northwestern Wildcats Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 27th, 2025
Use Code WWWC The UCLA Bruins (0-3, 0-3 ATS, 1-2 O/U) meet the Northwestern Wildcats (1-2, 1-2 ATS, 0-3 O/U) in a Big 10 clash on Saturday evening, and we have the prediction. The Bruins lost against New Mexico two weeks ago and had their bye last week. The Wildcats were charged with a home loss by Oregon in their previous action, and also had their bye.
Can the Wildcats record their first conference win of the season on Saturday afternoon? Check out the UCLA vs. Northwestern prediction. When it comes to college football selections, our NCAAF Predictions are stellar.
UCLA Seeks First Win of Season
The UCLA Bruins are searching for their first win. UCLA had a tough opponent to kick off the season, losing 43-10 against a ranked Utah squad. The schedule has been easier in the last two games, but the Bruins' offense has struggled. They lost against UNLV in week two and were dealt a stunning 35-10 home defeat by New Mexico in a meeting that had the Bruins as huge 16-point favorites. They had their bye last week. The Bruins have yet to cover the spread.
Nico Iamaleava has been dangerous at times but inconsistent. The sophomore QB recorded 217 passing yards in the defeat against New Mexico. The senior QB has recorded 608 passing yards with a 3:3 TD to INT ratio and has added 139 rushing yards. UCLA will run more than pass. Anthony Wood has seen the most action of any running back, posting 117 yards on an average of 5.6 yards per rush. The receiving core relies heavily on Kwazi Gilmer, who has been outstanding. The sophomore WR brought in 56 yards in the recent defeat and leads the squad with 174 receiving yards. The UCLA offense is averaging 325 yards per game.
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The Bruins' defense has been a huge weakness. The defense surrendered 450 yards against New Mexico and an average of 431 yards on the year. Isaiah Chisom has been strong, making 37 tackles. The pass defense has been decent, ranking 51st, while the rush defense needs work, ranking 132nd.
UCLA is averaging 14.3 points on the year, ranking them 132nd. The Bruins are squandering an average of 36 points, pegging them 125th.
Northwestern Drops Conference Opener vs. Oregon
The Northwestern Wildcats are eying their first conference win of the season. Northwestern dropped its season opener in a disappointing road defeat against Tulane. Northwestern rebounded with a dominating 42-7 home win against Western Illinois in week two. Northwestern had to play a ranked Oregon squad in its conference opener and was charged with a 34-14 loss in a clash that had the Wildcats marked as mammoth 26.5-point dogs. The Wildcats have covered the spread in one of three games.
Preston Stone is in his first season at Northwestern after spending the last few seasons with SMU. The senior QB has been shaky. He only managed 135 passing yards against the Ducks and has connected on only 59% of his passes. Stone has posted 541 passing yards with a 3:6 TD to INT ratio. The rushing offense has been decent. Caleb Komolafe has netted 50 or more yards in two of three games. The sophomore RB has managed 150 rushing yards. Cam Porter has been solid, amassing 137 yards.
Griffin Wilde is being targeted heavily. The junior WR was strong last week, bringing in 55 yards against Oregon. He has made 15 grabs for 213 yards on the season. Ricky Ahumaraeze is next up with only 73 yards. The Northwestern offense recorded 313 yards against Oregon. They are averaging 358 yards per game on the season.
The Wildcats' defense has been decent and should keep them in many games. They conceded 30 points in the first two games. The unit conceded 373 yards against Oregon, which isn’t bad considering it was against a potent offense. They are yielding an average of 325 yards per game on the year. Robert Fitzgerald has made 27 tackles. The pass defense has been stingy, ranking 21st. The rush defense has not been nearly as strong, coming in at 102nd in the country
Northwestern is scoring an average of 19.7 points on the season, ranking them 115th. The Wildcats are keeping opponents to an average of 21.3 points, placing them 60th.
UCLA vs. Northwestern Pick
Spread Pick for UCLA vs. Northwestern
- Northwestern Wildcats -6.5 (5 units)
The UCLA Bruins have been a disaster so far. They have dropped all three games, including a rough 35-10 home loss against New Mexico. The Bruins were 16-point favorites in that one. UCLA has not displayed any major strengths on offense or defense. The Northwestern Wildcats are only 1-2 but have at least displayed strength defensively. Northwestern's previous game was against Oregon, which is one of the best teams in the entire country. The Wildcats were able to cover the spread in that one.
Furthermore, UCLA has relied more on its passing offense, but QB Nico Iamaleava has been inconsistent. He is up against a stingy Wildcats' rush defense that is conceding an average of only 153 passing yards per game, good for 21st in the country. Northwestern will run more than pass, which is good news in this matchup. They are averaging a decent 178 rushing yards per game. This is key as the Bruins' rush defense has been exposed in each game and is pegged 132nd in the country. The Bruins have yet to cover, and I expect that to continue with a dominating home win for Northwestern.
Over/Under Pick for UCLA vs. Northwestern
- Over 45 (5 units)
I expect this one to have enough scoring for the over to hit. The Bruins' defense has been exposed. They have surrendered 30 or more points in all three games, including 35 points at home in the defeat against New Mexico. Also, Northwestern managed 315 total yards against Oregon, which may not seem like a lot, but the Ducks are one of the best defensive teams in the country.
In addition, UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava is better than displayed so far. He posted big numbers for Tennessee in the SEC last season and is also a big threat on the ground, posting 139 rushing yards. The Wildcats are ranked 105th in rush defense. This is one of the lowest totals on the entire board.
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