BYU vs. Washington State Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 8

The Washington State Cougars will be looking to build upon a three-game win streak in Week 8 when they take on the BYU Cougars at Clarence D. Martin Stadium. 

While Washington State is working on a win-streak, BYU has dropped two in a row heading into this road game with the latest letdown coming at the hands of Baylor in Week 7. The 38-24 L left BYU with a 5-2 record and the Cougars will look to snap back after starting the season a perfect 5-0.

Washington State has the momentum heading into this home game. Their last time out saw them squeak by Stanford with a final score of 34-31. Washington State has rebounded nicely after a 1-3 start to beat Cal and Oregon State before their latest victory over the Cardinal.

With two teams heading in opposite directions, who is the best bet for Week 8? Let’s explore the matchup trends and odds and make a wager on this showdown in Washington. 

Here are the odds for this matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

BYU vs. Washington State Odds, Spread and Over/Under

Spread:

• BYU: -3.5 (-110)
• Washington State +3.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• BYU -175
• Washington State +155

Total:

• 54.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

BYU vs. Washington State Betting Trends

• Washington State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games. 
• The UNDER is 4-1 in Washington State’s last 5 games. 
• The UNDER is 8-2 in BYU’s last 10 games. 
• BYU is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games against Pac-12 opponents. 

BYU vs. Washington State Prediction and Pick

BYU needs to get back into the win column this week after dropping back-to-back games in October. The team is led by quarterback Jaren Hall who went 22-for-31 with 342 yards and a touchdown in last week’s loss to the Bears. Despite the high output, Hall was unable to find consistent success in the red zone and that was a major factor in the loss. BYU's ground game was able to punch in two additional touchdowns to keep the game close. Unfortunately, that same rushing attack only managed 67 yards in the game on 24 carries. 

While the offensive numbers are nothing to write home about, their defensive performance was, but not in a good way. Their rushing defense was especially poor in last week’s game, giving up more than 300 yards and four touchdowns on 47 carries. That performance left BYU as the 63rd ranked rushing defense in the nation in terms of total yards and 80th in opponents’ rushes per game. Seems like the competition might have found out how to beat this team on the ground. 

Unfortunately, as the 111th ranked rushing offense in terms of total yards, Washington State is in no position to exploit this. WSU is a pass-first offense with a 57.52 percent pass rate on the year.

How are the BYU Cougars at stopping the pass? Not that much better than their run defense. The team ranks 99th in opponent completion percentage and 75th in passing yards given up per game. 

I don’t like the numbers I am seeing for BYU in their last two losses, especially on the defensive side. If WSU had a better rushing game, I would be on them to win outright at +155, but I do worry about their ability to exploit a struggling rushing defense. I'll stick to the spread instead and hope that WSU can keep it within a field goal

Prediction: Washington State Cougars +3.5 (-110)