Both Colorado and Washington State spent time ranked earlier this year, but both have fallen on tough times. Still, both are clinging to a shred of hope for bowl eligibility, so this matchup on the Palouse shouldn’t be lacking for intensity.
Washington State is favored by 4.5 at home, but Colorado has had some close calls of late, and should be able to make this game competitive.
Let’s check out this interesting Pac-12 After Dark clash with our Colorado Buffaloes vs. Washington State Cougars college football picks and predictions for Saturday, Nov. 18, at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Colorado vs Washington State Odds
Track our latest CFB odds for Buffaloes vs Cougars:
NCAAF lines used for Colorado vs WSU were current as of Monday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. ET on DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: WSU (-205) • Colorado (+170)
- Spread: WSU -4.5 (-110) • Colorado +4.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 63.5 (-110) • Under 63.5 (-110)
Washington State is favored, but by less than a touchdown in this one, and with the line set at 63.5, the sportsbooks aren’t expecting too much defense from either side.
Colorado vs Washington State Prediction
SCORE PICK: Colorado 40, Washington State 38
It’s hard to find a matchup that EPA finds to be more even; when the metric is rounded to the hundredths place, these two teams are still level, although Washington State ranks 75th in the country while Colorado is 76th.
Martin Stadium is an excellent home-field advantage, but these Cougars are in no position to make the most of it. Most recently, they lost at home to Stanford in a very ugly 10-7 battle, and in their previous home game, were obliterated 44-6 by Arizona.
Overall, the Cougars have lost six games in a row, as their 4-0 start with a pair of ranked wins is now a distant memory. Colorado hasn’t done much winning of late either, but it’s had some promising performances.
It lost by just three to a shockingly good Arizona team, and by seven against Oregon State, who is now 10th in the AP Poll.
Deion Sanders and his squad should pull off the modest upset in a game where the points flow freely, with both teams coming off of games in which both sides scored over 30 points. The Buffaloes will live to fight another day just one more time, setting up a final stand for bowl eligibility against Utah.
Colorado vs Washington State Best Bets
Colorado (+170)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
It’s hard to overstate the degree to which things have fallen apart in Pullman. Despite an encouraging first four games, the Cougars now sit at the bottom of the Pac-12, and have seemingly lost every which way.
Stanford topped them in a defensive battle, and then last week, the Cougars visited Cal and lost in a shootout, by a score of 42-39. Quarterback Cameron Ward has fallen off a good bit after a scorching start to the year, as he threw for 13 touchdowns and no picks across the win streaks, but that ratio has fallen down to seven and five since then.
Colorado does falter against good defenses, but simply put, Washington State does not have one of those. The Cougars’ 85th-ranked defense by EPA per play will not be enough to slow down the Sean Lewis “Flash Fast” offense, which still ranks as high as 40th by the same metric.
Similarly, the suddenly-anemic WSU offense won’t be able to punish Colorado for its own defensive shortcomings, which will lead the Cougars to suffer an upsetting home defeat.
Over 63.5 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
While the wins have dried up, Shedeur Sanders continues to put up some solid numbers for the Buffaloes. No, they’re not as gaudy as the 903 air yards he put up over the season’s first two weeks, but he hasn’t thrown a pick in Colorado’s past three games, and overall, he’s thrown 26 touchdowns and just three picks.
Washington State has allowed at least 38 points in four of its past five games, with a lukewarm Stanford being the lone opponent to crack that plateau. Colorado should have no trouble running the score up, while the Cougars’ own offense will have a relatively positive day against a Colorado defense that ranks a dismal 118th in the country by EPA per play.
Colorado vs Washington State Same-Game Parlay
Colorado vs Washington State SGP (+244)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
- Over 63.5 (-110)
- Colorado +4.5 (-110)
We’re going to build on the same principles we’ve discussed above, as there are limited options for Same Game Parlays this early in the week, but we’ll make one of the legs slightly less risky. The spread of +4.5 is a great number for Colorado, as it allows it to lose by a field goal in a close contest and still cover.
You’re still set in a scenario where the teams mostly trade scores, but Washington State answers a Colorado field goal with a touchdown, for a margin of four. Regardless, the total should go Over, with neither defense providing much resistance.
