Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are set to travel to Los Angeles for a College Football face-off against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday. After a 9-4 season, the Chanticleers, co-champions of the Sun Belt East Division, stumbled in their last two matches.
They faced defeats against Troy in the Sun Belt title game and East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl. Tim Beck is poised to lead the Chanticleers as the head coach for the first time this season.
Conversely, the UCLA Bruins concluded the previous season with a 9-4 record, securing six wins in 9 Pac-12 games. Heading into his sixth season as head coach, Chip Kelly aims to lead the Bruins. Despite reaching the Sun Bowl, they suffered a close 37-35 loss. UCLA wrapped up the season ranked 21st in the final Associated Press poll. UCLA comes into this game listed at -14.5, with a total of 65.5.
Chanticleers With Pieces Returning
The spotlight will immediately illuminate the Chanticleers as they kick off the year 2023. This initial challenge on the road serves as a significant test before they return to their home turf for three consecutive games. In the previous season, Coastal Carolina averaged 29.1 points per game, while their defense conceded slightly over 30 points, resulting in competitive matches throughout the season.
This year, the Chanticleers are determined to enhance their defense, ranked 101st in the nation.
On the offensive front, Grayson McCall reassumes his position as quarterback. McCall delivered 24 touchdowns in the previous season, with an astonishingly low count of two interceptions. This stability bolsters the passing game’s confidence as they head into 2023.
Sam Pinckney, who came to the forefront as the top receiver last season, returns to the lineup, needing a mere four yards to achieve a 1,000-yard record. Also making their comeback for the Chanticleers are Reese White and CJ Beasley, the key running backs, who collectively accumulated ten touchdowns and over 1,200 yards in the prior year.
Bruins with New Faces
On the UCLA Bruins side, they might harbor some concerns as they recognize their Week 1 adversary’s substantial returning presence. In contrast, the Bruins are facing a less extensive return of players and will need to mature rapidly. Post this matchup, UCLA is slated for a road encounter against San Diego State.
The Bruins showcased their prowess as one of the nation’s highest-scoring teams in the prior season, averaging 39.2 points per game. Their running game exhibited exceptional strength, ranking sixth with an impressive 238.2 yards per game.
UCLA faces the challenge of compensating for the departure of Zach Charbonnet, who amassed 1,359 rushing yards last season and has now transitioned to the NFL. Furthermore, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the quarterback from the previous year, has also moved on. He achieved 3,100 passing yards and 27 touchdowns.
Additionally, Jake Bobo, who led the team with seven touchdown receptions, has departed. Without intending to instill apprehension, it’s evident that this roster needs swift maturation to avert the possibility of an upset in Week 1. A significant portion of UCLA’s offensive statistics from the past season now resides in the history books.
Competitive Week One Affair
Expect a tighter match than anticipated. Coastal Carolina has a bunch returning and are coming off some success last year and ready to compete in Los Angeles; they might handle a two-touchdown deficit well. With disciplined ball handling and defensive stands, Coastal Carolina could make this a challenging game—final score prediction: UCLA 31-28 over Coastal Carolina.
Bet the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers +14.5 against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.
