Wazzu Looks to Be Tree-mendous at Stanford

What with all the hoopla in Pullman last weekend, the Washington State Cougars seem to have become flavor of the month.

Or the week, anyway. The fact remains, the Cougs are on a roll right now.

The same can't be said down on the Farm.

 

Stanford's just managing this season, especially with star RB Bryce Love being hobbled with a lingering ankle sprain. Still, with victories this week against Wazzu and next week at Washington, the Cardinal will be on track for another Pac-12 North title.

Bovada has listed the line at Stanford -3, the total's edged up to 54, and the moneyline at Cardinal -140, Cougars +120.

Why bet on Washington State ...

The Cougars are 6-1 straight-up and a perfect 7-0 against the spread after a 34-20 victory over Oregon last week. The Cougars are winning by consistently out-hustling opponents in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Senior graduate transfer QB Gardner Minshew II is lighting up defenses with 392.1 passing yards per game. That's tops in the nation. Dude's completed 254 of 364 (69.8%) of his passes for 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.

 

Why bet on Stanford ...

The Cardinal has taken bettors on a roller coaster of a season. They've had wins over USC and Oregon, but then they fumbled with consecutive blowout losses to Notre Dame and  Utah. Last week, Stanford won its first road game, beating Arizona State, 20-13.

How can Stanford beat Washington State? With its pass defense. They're allowing just 252.1 passing yards per game, which is the second-lowest among Pac-12 teams behind Oregon State. Plus, Stanford's only allowed seven passing touchdowns.

 

Instant analysis ...

Washington State's 2-1 straight-up and 3-0 against the spread in its last three games against the Cardinal. This season, Stanford's 4-2 against the spread while the Cougars are 7-0 against it.

Even if Love plays in this game, he's not going to be full speed. No matter what's being said, the only way any aerial attack can outshoot Mike Leach's offense is if the Cougs shoot themselves in the foot. Right now, Minshew's just too dialed in for that to be a viable wagering probability.

Moneyline pick: Washington State straight up
ATS pick: Washington State +3

Result: Washington State 41 Stanford 38 ... Cougars cover both positions

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Sportbet Columnist: Noah Williams

Noah lives and works with a simple philosophy of “Eat, Drink, Football.” This is embodied through a dedication to satellite TV, Indian delivery, Folgers in his cup, and Budweiser. He lives in a secret lair with his beautiful concubine.