Coming off the disappointment of losing the Pac-12 championship game 9-4 UCLA looks to get to double-digits in victories for this season when it plays 7-5 Baylor in the Holiday Bowl Thursday, Dec. 27 in San Diego (9:45 pm ET, ESPN).
Early Holiday Bowl odds were listing the Bruins as two-point favorites over the Bears, who finished tied for fifth place in the Big 12 this year.
Favorites are 11-3 ATS in the past 14 Holiday Bowls, while the past four games all played UNDER the total. [ More Holiday Bowl betting information, stats and trends ]
The game opened as a PK (watch for line moves at Sportsbook) with a huge total of 79.5.
View Baylor vs UCLA Odds and Stats.
Baylor Bowl History
| Year | Bowl | Team1 | Score | Team2 | Score | Team2 Line | ATS win |
| 2010 | Texas Bowl | Illinois | 38 | Baylor | 14 | 2 | ILLINO |
| 2011 | Alamo Bowl | Washington | 56 | Baylor | 67 | -9 | BAYLOR |
UCLA Bowl History
| Year | Bowl | Team1 | Score | Team2 | Score | Team2 Line | ATS win |
| 1995 | Aloha Bowl | UCLA | 30 | Kansas | 51 | 5 | KANSAS |
| 1997 | Cotton Bowl | UCLA | 29 | Texas A&M | 23 | 12 | TEXA&M |
| 1998 | Rose Bowl | Wisconsin | 38 | UCLA | 31 | -9 | WISCSN |
| 2000 | Sun Bowl | UCLA | 20 | Wisconsin | 21 | -4.5 | UCLA |
| 2002 | Las Vegas Bowl | New Mexico | 13 | UCLA | 27 | -9.5 | UCLA |
| 2003 | Silican Valley Bowl | UCLA | 9 | Fresno State | 17 | 3 | FRESNO |
| 2004 | Las Vegas Bowl | Wyoming | 24 | UCLA | 21 | -12.5 | WYOMNG |
| 2005 | Sun Bowl | Northwestern | 38 | UCLA | 50 | -3 | UCLA |
| 2006 | Emerald Bowl | Florida State | 44 | UCLA | 27 | -3.5 | FLAST |
| 2007 | Las Vegas Bowl | UCLA | 16 | BYU | 17 | -6.5 | UCLA |
| 2009 | Eagle Bank Bowl | UCLA | 30 | Temple | 21 | 4 | UCLA |
| 2011 | Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl | UCLA | 14 | Illinois | 20 | -3 | ILLINO |
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up UCLA's No. 29-ranked offense (35.1 PPG) against a Bears defense that ranks No. 117 at 38.2 PPG. The Bruins passing attack has averaged 271.6 yards per game, less than the Bears give up through the air (323.1 YPG on average).
In comparing defenses, the Bears own the league's No. 89-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 204.6 yards per game when on the road. UCLA, on the other hand, rates No. 40 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
Baylor was a 41-34 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Oklahoma State. They covered the 4-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (75) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Last time we saw the Cowboys, they had no answer for Lache Seastrunk as the Bears rolled to a 41-34 victory at Floyd Casey Stadium.
In their last action, UCLA was a 27-24 loser on the road against Stanford. They covered the 9.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (51) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Johnathan Franklin ran through the Stanford defense for 194 yards in UCLA's last game, but the Bruins still lost a 27-24 decision at Stanford Stadium.
Baylor Bears Trends:
When playing in December are 3-1
When playing on grass are 2-8
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing outside the conference are 8-2
UCLA Bruins Trends:
When playing in December are 3-7
When playing on grass are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing outside the conference are 6-4
A few Bears at Bruins trends to consider:
Baylor is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Baylor's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of UCLA's last 5 games
UCLA is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
