New Mexico Lobos vs UCLA Bruins Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 09/12/25

Following a much-talked about offseason for quarterback Nico Iamaleava, one that saw the sophomore quarterback move across the country from top-ranked Tennessee to UCLA, Iamaleava and the UCLA Bruins find themselves 0-2 to start the 2025 season. UCLA is coming off a 30-23 loss to UNLV last week, and it also fell in Week 1 via a 43-10 decision against Utah. Friday will be a golden chance for UCLA to get its first win of the season when it welcomes the New Mexico Lobos. New Mexico is 1-1 this season and is coming off a 32-22 win over Idaho State. The highly touted Bruins quarterback will need to be at his best for a full 4 quarters if UCLA wants to avoid going 0-3 for the first time since 2015.

There were a lot of questions surrounding Iamaleava about if he should stay or leave Tennessee after the Vols finished last season ranked ninth in the country. Now Iamaleava finds his back against the wall in a new system. The trouble the Bruins have had early this season is playing up to a standard for a full 4 quarters. This was evident against UNLV, when the Bruins fell behind 23-0 early on the road and were out-gained 110 to 250 yards on offense. The Bruins came out swinging in the second half, putting the ball in the endzone a couple times in the second half but still falling short. I expect that momentum they found in the second half to continue against New Mexico. The Lobos were ranked as one of the worst defenses in 2024. They were 132nd in the FBS in defense after allowing an average of 492.1 yards per game to their opponents. If there was ever a perfect opportunity for Iamaleava to have his first big game for the Bruins, this is the spot for it.

New Mexico vs UCLA prediction: Over 52.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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