The spotlight will be on Pasadena this Saturday night for the Week 1 showdown between the LSU Tigers and the UCLA Bruins to kick off the 2021 college football season. Both the Tigers and Bruins took a step back during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and will aim for a better journey ahead. UCLA has already had a quick taste of success the prior week already and will carry that winning momentum into this weekend’s prime-time clash.

Nitrobetting is ready to equip its bettors with all the latest previews and odds for Week 1 of the 2021 college football season. This time, we look at the season-opening matchup between the LSU Tigers and the UCLA Bruins. Find out more about the teams and the key players, event information, the latest NCAAF odds, and of course, helpful betting trends and expert betting predictions. Be sure to check the latest 2021 College Football odds at our online crypto sportsbook.

LSU Tigers vs. UCLA Bruins Game Information

Thanks to the @HoustonTexans for welcoming us.

Next Stop: LA

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) September 2, 2021

• When: Saturday, September 4, 2021, 8:30 PM ET
• Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
• TV: FOX
• Radio: WDGL 98.1 FM (LSU) / KLAC AM 570 (UCLA)
• Live Stream: CBS Sports
• College Football Odds: LSU (-2.5) / UCLA (+2.5)

Why Bet on the LSU Tigers?

Life after Joe Burrow, coupled with the global pandemic, proved to be too much for last year’s LSU Tigers to deal with. The 2019 national champions came up short of making the CFP in 2020 with a mediocre 5-5 record, but head coach Ed Orgeron is prepared to start a clean slate with his current roster.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, their offense has been ravaged by injuries all offseason long. Second-year quarterback Max Johnson won the starting QB job by default after Myles Brennan suffered a broken arm before training camp, and the team’s two stalwart running backs in John Emery Jr. and Tyrion Davis-Price are also both uncertain to play in the season opener. Nonetheless, winning three-straight Bowl Games and a national championship is a well rough track record to believe that LSU can overcome these adversities against A Pac-12 program not known to beat opponents outside its own conference.

Why Bet on the UCLA Bruins?

For the first time in the Chip Kelly era that began in 2018, the UCLA Bruins defeated a non-conference opponent during their “Week 0” game against the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors last Saturday to the tune of a 44-10 beatdown.

UCLA’s offense got into a great groove in their home opener last week, with former Michigan running back Zach Charbonnet stealing the show. Charbonnet ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns, as the Bruins racked up 244 rushing yards and four rushing TDs on the ground against Hawai’i. UCLA has never faced the Tigers before in their school history, yet they have the upper hand in terms of momentum with this preemptive victory, and that could be enough to overcome the odds that the team is facing as home dogs.

LSU vs. UCLA Betting Trends

• The Tigers are just 2-3 in their last five regular-season games on the road (3-2 ATS).
• The Tigers are a perfect 7-0 against Pac-12 teams since 2003 (5-2 ATS).
• The totals have gone under in five of those seven games against teams from the Pacific conference.
• The Bruins are 4-6 at home in the regular season since 2019 (SU/ATS).
• The Bruins are 3-3 in their last six home games as underdogs (3-2-1 ATS).
• The totals have gone under in four of the Bruins’ last seven regular-season games in general.

LSU vs. UCLA Expert Betting Predictions

Although the Tigers are slightly favored to win this huge Week 1 matchup, there are certainly issues with their depth seeing how many key pieces on offense will be on the sidelines. That being said, there’s more than a good probability that the Bruins can pull off the upset against a proven powerhouse program given their own fantastic season debut from last week and emerge as a real threat in the Pac-12 moving forward with their superb running game.

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Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2022 College Football season. Stay tuned for more football previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest NCAAF betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

READ MORE: Alabama vs. Miami 2021 College Football Week 1 Odds and Preview