The Washington State Cougars take on the Utah State Aggies at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday at Clarence D. Martin Stadium. Last year was a bit of a step back for the Cougars in their first season under new head coach Nick Rolovich, but they look to get off to a quick start against the Aggies. Meanwhile, Utah State begins its own reclamation campaign under new head coach Blake Anderson, who came over from Arkansas State after seven seasons.
This weekend will be the first meeting between the two programs since 1961, and both teams have some things to sort out in their season opener. The Cougars are favored by 17.5-points in the latest Washington State vs. Utah State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over-under is set at 66.5. Before entering any Utah State vs. Washington State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 1 of the 2021 season on a 57-37 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Washington State vs. Utah State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football odds for Washington State vs. Utah State:
- Washington State vs. Utah State spread: Washington State -17.5
- Washington State vs. Utah State over-under: 66.5 points
What to know about the Washington State Cougars
The Cougars didn't produce the sort of eye-popping passing numbers in 2020 that they did under former head coach Mike Leach. Jayden De Laura was the primary starter last season, and appears to have the inside track to resume that role. He has been competing with grad transfer Jarrett Guarantano, but Rolovich hasn't publicly said either will start against the Aggies.
De Laura completed 60 percent of his passes last season, but took some chances common of freshman quarterbacks. He finished the year with 886 yards passing, five touchdowns and four interceptions in four games played. While Washington State's offense fell off a bit in 2020, the defense was as porous as ever. The Cougars particularly struggled against opposing rushing attacks, and allowed nearly 155 yards per game.
What to know about the Utah State Aggies
Anderson has also been secretive about his plans to name a starting quarterback. Juniors Logan Bonner and Andrew Peasley have been competing for the job. Peasley played in five games for Utah State last season, but completed just 53.6 percent of his passes.
The Aggies should be expected to run the ball right at Washington State and make the Cougars prove they are a different group than last year's model. Utah State brings back a great deal of experience on its offensive line and Peasley was the team's second-leading rusher last season. Oregon State transfer Calvin Tyler Jr. should add some juice to the backfield and the Aggies should at least be able to play ball-control on offense.
How to make Washington State vs. Utah State picks
The model has simulated Washington State vs. Utah State 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Washington State vs. Utah State? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college football picks.
