UCLA becomes the second team to play in a bowl game with a losing record as they hit the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at 6-7 against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

It's hard to imagine a bowl team finishing at 6-8 but Illinois opened as favorites on the Fight Hunger Bowl odds menu at most online sportsbooks.
UCLA lost five games by 25 points or more and Illinois lost six straight after starting 6-0. Not surprisingly, both coaches got fired. [ Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl odds preview and matchup report article ]

View UCLA vs Illinois Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Oddsmakers opened the Fighting Illini as 3-point favorites in the game, while the betting total at shops such as Sportsbook settled in at 47.





How They Match Up:
The game also pits Illinois's No. 91-ranked offense, averaging 22.8 PPG, against a Bruins defense that ranks No. 96 this week at 32.2 PPG. The Fighting Illini aerial game is averaging 187 yards per game, less than the Bruins secondary allows through the air, 232.6 YPG per game.

Defensively, the Bruins feature the league's No. 88-rated road run defense, allowing 204 yards per game. Illinois, meanwhile, ranks No. 59 in rushing offense at home.

Last time out for UCLA, they were a 49-31 loser as they battled Oregon on the road. UCLA covered in the match as a 31-point underdog, while 80 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors.

In their last action, Illinois was a 27-7 loser on the road against Minnesota. They failed to cover the 10–point spread as favorites, while the combined score (34) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.


UCLA Bruins Trends:
When playing in December are 3-7
When playing on grass are 5-5
After being outgained are 4-6
When an underdog on the road are 1-9

Illinois Fighting Illini Trends:
When playing in December are 2-2
When playing on grass are 3-7
After being outgained are 6-4
When favored at home are 7-3

A few Bruins at Fighting Illini trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of UCLA's last 8 games
UCLA is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Illinois's last 5 games
Illinois is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Illinois is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games