WSU opens as a 6.5-point underdog to Oregon

The Washington State Cougars will get set to open up Pac-12 play against the northwest rival No. 15 Oregon Ducks this Saturday in Pullman.

WSU (3-0) completed a perfect sweep of non-conference foes, disposing of the Colorado State Rams last week, 38-7. The Cougars’ three wins, including the conference’s only road victory over a top-25 foe thus far, were enough to place WSU just outside of the AP top-25 on Sunday morning, with 62 receiving votes.

Oregon (2-1), meanwhile, stumbled out of the gate, getting rocked by perhaps the nation’s best team, Georgia, to open the year. The Ducks responded with back-to-back blowout wins over FCS Eastern Washington and top-25 BYU at home to reenter the top 15.

The Ducks will head into Pullman as 6.5-point favorites (-110) according to DraftKings. The over/under for the game is set at 56 and the Cougars are +200 on the moneyline. A $100 bet on a WSU win would cash $200.

Against Colorado State last week, WSU’s offense finally began to show the flashes we have been waiting to see. While CSU’s defense looked putrid, WSU did exactly what it needed to do early, scoring touchdowns on each of their first four possessions. The Cougar offense looked less than desirable in the second half, however, playing sloppy and unfocused football. But if WSU’s offense can hum to the first half beat it had last week, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

Oregon’s defense is no joke however. Despite facing heavy criticism and questions after the highly hyped defense was embarrassed by Georgia in week one, the unit is beginning to also come around to the hype. The Duck defense held Eastern Washington to less than 200 yards of total offense and held BYU to just a touchdown in the first three quarters. The Ducks held BYU to just 2.5 yards per carry on 24 total attempts.

Martin Stadium’s sea of crimson and gray has become a bit of a headache for the rival Ducks since 2016. The Cougars dropped 51 on the Ducks in 2016 for a dominant 51-33 victory, then WSU put on a show in the Ducks next trip to Pullman, defeating No. 12 Oregon in front of ESPN’s College Gameday, 34-20. The Ducks finally broke through in Pullman in 2020, beating the Cougs 43-29 in front of a crowd of zero. Oregon’s last win before that was in 2014 as the then-No. 2 Ducks barely survived WSU, escaping Pullman with a narrow 38-31 victory. In their last five road trips to Pullman, Oregon is 0-5 against the spread and 2-10 in their last 12 total meetings against Wazzu regardless of location. With another large crowd expected for Saturday afternoon, Martin Stadium should be rocking once again.

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