Betting on the WSU Cougars’ 2022 season

This is the next installment in our series of stories previewing the 2022 Washington State Cougars football season. Other installments can be found here.

This coming Saturday marks the return of college football, and more importantly, marks just one more week of waiting for Washington State football.

When the Cougars kick off their 2022 season in the Battle of the Palouse against the Idaho Vandals on September 3rd, things will look a little different in Pullman since we last saw the Cougs 247 days prior.

After a unprecedented 2021 campaign that still ended in a 7-5 record, a bowl appearance and the long awaited return of the Apple Cup, Jake Dickert’s first full offseason as a head coach brought sweeping changes across the board. Offensively, the Cougars poached both transfer QB Cam Ward and new offensive coordinator Eric Morris from the FCS Incarnate Word Cardinals. Defensively, the Cougars will be led by new defensive coordinator Brian Ward, who spent the 2021 season as the defensive coordinator for the Nevada Wolfpack.

As for the 2022 schedule, the Cougars will play non-conference home games against the Idaho Vandals and Colorado State Rams with a date in Madison, Wisconsin against the Wisconsin Badgers sandwiched in between to start the year. They will begin conference play in week four against the Oregon Ducks. The Cougars will also host the California Golden Bears for homecoming, Utah on a Thursday night, Arizona State for family weekend and will look to defend their Apple Cup trophy in Pullman against the Washington Huskies. Their road slate will feature trips to USC, Oregon State, Stanford and will conclude against a familiar face in the Jayden de Laura led Arizona WIldcats.

Currently, our friends at DraftKings have set the win total for the Cougars at over/under 5.5, the eighth-highest total amongst Pac-12 teams, tied with Cal and ahead of Arizona (2.5), Colorado (3.5) and Stanford (4.5). If you want to bet the Cougars to reach six or more wins, the odds sit at +105 — meaning if you bet $100, you will receive your $100 bet back with an additional $105 profit. As far as the conference slate, DraftKings has the over/under conference wins total set at 3.5 (-140 if you bet the over, +110 if you bet the under).

If you have championship aspirations for the 2022 Cougars, DraftKings has the Cougars at +1600 to win the Pac-12 North and advance to the Pac-12 Championship Game, the ninth highest odds in the conference to make it to Las Vegas. Despite Cal having better odds to make it to the championship game, DraftKings trusts the Cougars more to win the title game, should they get there. The Cougars have the eighth highest odds to win the Pac-12 at +4500, just ahead of Cal at +6000 and behind Arizona State at +2800.

Now, let’s dream big. Let’s say everything goes perfectly and some for Wazzu, starting with the Heisman Trophy being handed to the new kid on the block, Cameron Ward. Ward sits at +10000 to be the first to bring the Heisman back to Pullman. Nearly a month to the day after Ward is named the Heisman winner, crimson and gray confetti falls from the sky at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, as the Cougars claim the national championship. This dream scenario of the Cougars being crowned the national champions sits at +40000, once again eighth highest odds in the Pac-12.

The ceiling is high for the Cougars and the vibes are as good as ever heading into the newest era of Cougar football. We can’t wait to get back home and enjoy another fall on the Palouse.

You can check out the odds here.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.