The Washington State Cougars take on the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan, KS. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on TNT/HBO Max.
K State is favored by -18.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1200. The total is set at 48.5 points.
Here’s my Washington State vs Kansas State prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Washington State vs Kansas State Prediction
- Washington State vs Kansas State Pick: Washington State Team Total Under 15.5 Points
My Washington State vs Kansas State best bet is on the Cougars to record a total under 15.5 points. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page and be sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.
Washington State vs Kansas State Odds
| Washington State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+18.5 -110 | 48.5 -108o / -110u | +750 |
| Kansas State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-18.5 -110 | 48.5 -108o / -110u | -1200 |
- Washington State vs Kansas State point spread: Kansas State -18.5 (-110), Washington State +18.5 (-110)
- Washington State vs Kansas State over/under: 48.5 (-108o / -110u)
- Washington State vs Kansas State moneyline: Washington State +750, Kansas State -1200
Washington State vs Kansas State College Football Preview
Washington State Cougars Betting Preview: Going Nowhere Fast
We saw a real spirited effort out of Washington State last week in an unusual Apple Cup game that took place in the opener, as opposed to concluding the season.
The defense was incredible and consistently made things very difficult for the Washington offense, which was projected to take a step into elite status with the return of quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
The Huskies looked anything but that against the Cougs, who forced field goal attempts, bowed up on the goal line and forced UW into uncharacteristic mistakes. The defense was the bright spot while the offense struggled badly.
Caden Pinnick came over at QB from the FCS level in the offseason, where he tore up the Big Sky Conference and led UC Davis to the FCS playoffs in 2025. Pinnick struggled throwing the ball, and Washington State had just 87 total yards in the first half in the opener.
The run game was inconsistent, and Washington State delivered just one drive to the end zone. The Cougs didn't convert a third-down attempt and averaged 4.3 yards per play, which won't be good enough to compete this week on the road at Kansas State.
Kansas State Wildcats Betting Preview: Much More Like It
A decent amount of conversation happened during the offseason regarding Kansas State, which hired Collin Klein to reinvigorate a program experiencing apathy and decay.
Klein has immediately corrected the intensity and attitude of the team, elevating how the Wildcats have practiced and prepared, and we saw the results on the field on Saturday night.
Now, it was Nicholls State, but the product looked good.
Avery Johnson looked great in the opener. He threw the ball on the money early on while hitting 15-yard out patterns, crossing route and he stuck the football into tight windows.
The ground game was electric, with Rodney Fields and Joe Jackson looking really good in the first half. The Wildcats were disciplined, executed well on third down, and played nearly mistake-free on offense.
The defense was clearly facing an overmatched foe, but this unit looked the part of an improved unit early on. Nicholls didn't achieve a first down until eight minutes remaining in the second quarter and had just one explosive play.
Gabe Powers and Logan Bartley were all over the field in the first half, and the Kansas State front was in the backfield regularly.
I would imagine another strong showing against Washington State on Saturday.
Washington State vs Kansas State Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened with Kansas State a 17.5-point favorite with a total set at 49. The total actually opened at 52.5 and has been bet down.
I agree with the move, and I'm part of it as I bet the under early in the week. While the full game total has moved down, I still support a play on Washington State’s team total under 15.5.
The Cougs struggled badly to stack successful plays together against Washington last week, and the offense played very slow, running just 57 total plays despite leading in overall time of possession.
I'm not convinced that Washington State has the playmakers on the outside that are equipped to make plays against the Kansas State secondary, so the Cougars are going to have to resort to running the football.
Washington State ran Pinnick a ton in the opener as he had more carries than any two players, and he took an absolute pounding.
I can't imagine the team wants to do that again, so true run calls with Kirby Vorhees and Leo Pulalasi should be featured more here in this game. Those two averaged 2.5 yards per carry combined last week and will struggle here to register run explosives.
Washington State has kicking issues as Jack Stevens missed two field goals in the opener, so Washington State might be faced with tough decisions inside the Kansas State 30-yard line.
I wouldn't be surprised to see failed fourth-down attempts or punts in an effort to pin Kansas State down against its own goal line. I can't imagine Wazzu has faith in the field goal operation after what we saw last week.
Kansas State’s offense won't be as potent as it was against Nicholls State, and the Wildcats are also going to run the ball 65% of the time.
I was very impressed with Washington State’s run defense against Washington, and I think the Cougs can force the issue defensively against Kansas State’s offense.
This is important as I don't anticipate quick-strike scores, and I don't anticipate this game completely getting out of hand to where Kansas State is running the backups out there in the late stages.
We should have a close game here for a while, with run action both ways.
Washington State will struggle to score here, so its team total is worth a look to the under.
Pick: Washington State Team Total Under 15.5 Points
