Handicapper backing underdog UCLA

In his first year as a starter, Brigham Young quarterback Max Hall had no problem solving defenses in the Mountain West Conference. But he did have some trouble with UCLA.

The Cougars cruised through their conference with an 8-0 record, and on Saturday they get a second shot at the Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Brigham Young is a 6-point favorite over UCLA, and the total is 47. Of the 32 bowls, this is one of two rematches from the regular season.

In the first meeting Sept. 8, the Bruins won 27-17 as 8-point home favorites. Hall passed for 391 yards in only his second start, but had a costly fumble and an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

“Hall will be better the second time around, and it is revenge for BYU,” The Gold Sheet handicapper Chuck Sippl said. “But UCLA is strong enough, especially on defense, to cover the number and maybe get the win.”

The Cougars, 10-2 straight up and 6-5 against the spread, held a big edge in total offense (435-236) in the first game.

The Bruins, 6-6 straight up and 8-4 against the spread, are being coached by defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker in the wake of the firing of head coach Karl Dorrell.

“This is Walker’s audition. This is his shot to be a head coach,” Sippl said. “The Bruins have a veteran defense with a lot of guys playing their last game, and the seniors don’t want to go out on a big downer.”

Handicapping bowl games is challenging because of coaching changes, player suspensions and questionable motivational factors. UCLA is a tough team to read, and quarterback Ben Olson’s status because of a knee injury is another X-factor.

BYU ripped Oregon, an unmotivated Pacific-10 opponent, 38-8 in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl.

“We’re seeing a little more BYU money, but it’s not a big game for us right now,” MGM Mirage sports book director Robert Walker said. “It’s not being bet like crazy.”

Walker said betting on bowls has been “fairly lethargic” but he is seeing good two-way action on the BCS Championship Game, in which Louisiana State is a 41/2-point favorite over Ohio State on Jan. 7.

“I think there are only about four or five good bowl matchups,” Walker said. “That’s why betting is so great. If you couldn’t bet these games, you couldn’t watch some of these games.”

Sippl (goldsheet.com) analyzes his pick for the Papa John’s Bowl on Saturday:

• Southern Mississippi (+101/2) over Cincinnati: The Bearcats have been a hot team, going 9-3 straight up and 9-2 against the spread. But you have to be a good team to cover double digits in a bowl game at a neutral site, and this game is in Birmingham, Ala.

It’s the last game for Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower, who was thrown on the scrap heap after 14 straight winning seasons, and the players like him. The Golden Eagles are a strong underdog with a solid defense and a star running back in Damion Fletcher.