Nevada vs. UCLA Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where UCLA gets at Nevada: 40th at running it, against a unit 124th at defending the run. Nevada projects no clear way in against UCLA. UCLA is also 67th in the push up front, against a unit 106th.
How
UCLAattacks
NEV
- 1
Run it
running it · projected
UCLA#40 of 138NEV#124 of 138 - 2
Establish the push up front
the push the line gets · projected
UCLA#67 of 138NEV#106 of 138 - 3
Win first and second down
first and second down · projected
UCLA#86 of 138NEV#122 of 138
The two teams
Nevada
Nevada is in year 3 under Jeff Choate. The strengths are defensive, led by 34th at keeping everything in front of them. The way in is 131st at turning trips inside the 40 into points, and they are 129th at throwing it.
Nevada has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defensehitting chunk plays#34projected
Projected soft spots
- Offenseturning trips inside the 40 into points#131projected
- Offensethrowing it#129projected
- Offensesurviving second and twelve#128projected
UCLA
UCLA is in year 1 under Bob Chesney. The strengths are defensive, led by 5th at keeping everything in front of them. The way in is 134th at shutting down the ground game, and they are 131st on early downs defensively.
UCLA has played 1 game against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defensehitting chunk plays#5projected
Projected soft spots
- Defensemoving the ball on the ground#134projected
- Defensefirst and second down#131projected
- Defensesurviving second and twelve#129projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (UCLA Elo 1438, NEV Elo 1462 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects UCLA -20.9 (91% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
NEV13th62ndUCLAUCLA10th55thNEVThrough the air
NEV115th124thUCLAUCLA103rd70thNEVOn the ground
NEV6th77thUCLAUCLA17th107thNEVStaying on the field
NEV35th124thUCLAUCLA24th71stNEVTaking care of it
NEV31st30thUCLAUCLA31st53rdNEV
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| NEV | UCLA | |
|---|---|---|
| +2.9 (#60) | CORE overall | +12.9 (#29) |
| +2 / -1 | offense / defense | +9 / -4 |
| 4.46 | points / drive | 3.50 |
| 1.27 | allowed / drive | 1.42 |
| 18% | three-and-outs | 33% |
| -9 | pass over expected | +3 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Nevada vs. UCLA?
Gridpex's model favors UCLA with a 91% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Nevada vs. UCLA?
The model projects UCLA by 20.9.
What time is Nevada vs. UCLA and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Rose Bowl.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →