Colorado State vs. Washington State Odds
| Colorado State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+16.5 -104 | 52.5 -108o / -112u | +550 |
| Washington State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-16.5 -118 | 52.5 -108o / -112u | -820 |
Washington State hosts Colorado State in a matchup of the Pac-12 against the Mountain West.
Colorado State enters this game with a 0-2 record following a 15-point loss to Middle Tennessee. The Rams are 0-2 against the spread and have gone under in each of their games.
Washington State holds a 2-0 record and is coming off of a shocking win over Wisconsin. The Cougars are 1-1 against the spread and have gone under in both games.
Weather shouldn't have a significant impact on this game, as winds will top out at 8 mph. There's no precipitation in the forecast.
Colorado State Rams
After five years of decent success with Nevada, Jay Norvell made the jump to Colorado State. And through two games, it's clear that he'll have plenty of work to do to rebuild the program.
The Rams have averaged just 13.0 points per game and 3.8 yards per play.
The Colorado State offense has favored the run game early in the season. The unit has averaged just 25 pass attempts per game. The Rams have a 72% completion percentage, but have averaged just 7.86 yards per attempt.
The Rams have a Passing Success Rate of 34%.
Transfer quarterback Clay Millen has thrown for four touchdowns, but has also thrown three interceptions.
Colorado State has attempted 36.5 rushes per game, but has averaged only 1.0 yard per attempt. This number is skewed by its matchup against Middle Tennessee State, however. With sacks included, the Rams rushed for negative 10 yards.
For the year, the Rams rank dead last in Rushing Success Rate with a 24% rate. They've yet to have a rushing play of more than 20 yards and have just five rushing plays of more than 10 yards.
The defense hasn't performed any better than the offense through two games. The Rams have allowed 42.5 points per game and 5.5 yards per play. They've allowed a 45% Success Rate and 4.07 points per opportunity, and have generated Havoc on only 14% of plays.
Washington State Cougars
In his first full season as the head coach, Jake Dickert has the team off to a strong — albeit low-scoring — start.
The Cougars have averaged 20.5 points per game and 5.3 yards per attempt. They have a 49% Success Rate and average 23.5 seconds per play.
If there's been a concern through two games, it's been in Finishing Drives. The Cougars are averaging just 3.43 points per opportunity.
Through two games, Washington State has passed on 59% of its offensive plays.
New quarterback Cameron Ward has provided stability to the offense. He's completed 61.8% of his passes for an average of 6.2 yards per attempt. He's thrown four touchdowns and two interceptions.
As a team, the Cougars have a 44% Passing Success Rate and have averaged 1.5 passing plays over 20 yards per game.
As a team, Washington State is attempting 23.5 rush attempts per game and has averaged 4.0 yards per attempt.
Nakia Watson has led the charge for the Cougars' rushing attack. Watson has 150 rushing yards and one rushing score.
As a team, they have a 60% Rushing Success Rate.
The defense has been a strength through the first two weeks. The unit has allowed 15.5 points per game and 4.8 yards per play. The Cougars have held opponents to a 23% Success Rate and just 2.0 points per opportunity.
Colorado State vs. Washington State Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Colorado State and Washington State match up statistically:
Colorado State Offense vs. Washington State Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 131 | 111 | |
| Line Yards | 87 | 60 | |
| Pass Success | 93 | 3 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 124 | 57 | |
| Havoc | 125 | 27 | |
| Finishing Drives | 108 | 19 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Washington State Offense vs. Colorado State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 106 | 123 | |
| Line Yards | 1 | 86 | |
| Pass Success | 107 | 95 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 73 | 52 | |
| Havoc | 90 | 90 |  |
| Finishing Drives | 90 | 90 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 48 | 69 |
| PFF Coverage | 69 | 42 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 129 | 80 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.4 (106) | 23.5 (23) |
| Rush Rate | 59.3% (30) | 40.5% (119) |
Data via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, Pro Football Focus and SportSource Analytics.
Colorado State vs. Washington State Betting Pick
According to the PRO report, big-money bets have been on Washington State. Both the total bets and money favor Washington State in this game — 59% of tickets and 74% of bets are on Washington State.
At face value, I agree with favoring Washington State laying nearly three scores against one of the worst teams in the country. With its ability to limit success and generate Havoc, Washington State's defense should hold Colorado State in check.
The only concern with taking Washington State has been its inability to score big, even against Idaho in Week 1.
While the Cougars are playing well so far, they've failed to be particularly strong on offense. A matchup against Colorado State's porous defense should help, but even with improvements for Washington State, the scoring in this game should be relatively controlled.
My play is on the under at 53.5, and I'd continue to play it down to 51.
