The Washington State Cougars take on the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Ore. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Washington State is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -185. Oregon State, meanwhile, enters as a +3.5 underdog and is +155 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 47.5 total points.
Here’s my Washington State vs. Oregon State prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 1.
Washington State vs Oregon State Prediction
- Washington State vs. Oregon State Pick: Washington State -3.5, Oregon State U21.5 TT
My Oregon State vs. Washington State best bet is a full-on fade of the Beavers in multiple ways. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Washington State vs Oregon State Odds
| Washington State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | -185 |
| Oregon State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | +155 |
- Washington State vs Oregon State Spread: Washington State -3.5, Oregon State +3.5
- Washington State vs Oregon State Over/Under: 47 Points
- Washington State vs Oregon State Moneyline: Washington State -185, Oregon State +155
Washington State vs Oregon State College Football Preview
Washington State Cougars Betting Preview: Eckhaus Leading the Way
After getting Thanos-snapped into oblivion by North Texas, 59-10, Washington State made a quarterback change. Out went Jaxon Potter, and in comes Zevi Eckhaus, who was the presumed and obvious QB1 to everyone except Wazzu.
To make Potter's starting win even more confusing, Washington State's offense immediately became more viable under Eckhaus.
But it's the defense that's really buttoned up to turn the Cougars around from a 2-2 team with a questionable path forward to a 4-4 one with traits of quality in them.
That unit surrendered 59 points in consecutive games but hasn't allowed more than 24 points since. That's not due to the quality of the opponent, either, as Washington State held Ole Miss to 24, Virginia to 20 and Toledo to seven. It's simply good defense.
The problem now comes down to finishing games.
Washington State had the Virginia victory in the bag before handing it back to the Hoos (to be fair, something more than just Wazzu has done this year). It also kept the Apple Cup against Washington within reason until surrendering 28 fourth-quarter points.
The Cougars keep explosive plays to a minimum and force opponents to make their own mistakes with bend-don't-break defense.
When the defense breaks — North Texas went 9-for-9 with eight touchdowns in the red zone — things get bad fast. But, for the most part, it hasn't.
Eckhaus does a much better job holding onto the football, too. Potter tossed three interceptions that led to 14 points, and running backs turned the ball over two more times for an additional 14 points in that North Texas blowout loss.
When those turnovers are cut out, Washington State is competitive.
Head coach Jimmy Rogers has slowed the team way down and played ball control over the last four games. It's worked, as Washington State is 4-0 ATS with those impressive showings at Ole Miss and Virginia. Offensive coordinator Danny Freund has leaned way more into the run game, too.
It's a winning strategy that's produced far better results and should be looked at in isolation from the first four weeks.
And that San Diego State win is looking better by the week.
Oregon State Beavers Betting Preview: Still Stuck in the Mud
Oregon State finally notched its first win of the year, defeating a severely overmatched FCS Lafayette at home. It took a 35-point second half to do so, as Oregon State trailed the Leopards, 13-10, at halftime. Yikes.
But against any FBS competition, Oregon State has looked about as bad as possible.
It nearly sprung an upset at home over 6-1 Houston and kept a road trip to Appalachian State close, losing 27-23. But a 39-14 loss to Wake Forest just two weeks ago really set the benchmark of where the Beavers are at.
That Lafayette game is going to do wonders for running back Anthony Hankerson, who was previously having a disappointing season. Through seven games, Hankerson had 467 yards and two touchdowns at just 3.6 yards per carry. High volume, low efficiency.
Maalik Murphy has been fairly public about his disdain for the offense. Whether it's the system or the player is up for debate, but he's been listless so far.
Oregon State managed to overcome some early offensive line problems, and that's helped Hankerson out a bit. But this line is still far below FBS average — a distant cry from its Joe Moore Award days just a few seasons ago.
The defense isn't much better than the offense.
Long passing plays gouge this unit, and 5-of-7 FBS opponents have gone over 30 points.
When Oregon State does force third downs, it does a decent job getting off the field, but it's forced the fourth-fewest third downs in the country. Teams are converting on early downs too frequently.
To complete the trifecta of bad, Oregon State struggles on special teams, too. Kickers are a combined 4-of-10 on field goals — including 1-of-5 from 40-49 yards, right in that optimal range to kick them — and neither punter averages more than 35 yards on net punts.
So, the offense doesn't score enough, the defense doesn't get enough stops, and the special teams don't convert enough to score or flip the field.
You can see how 1-7 became a reality.
Washington St vs Oregon St Pick, Betting Analysis
Welcome to the 2025 Pac-12 Championship Part I, set between 1-7 Oregon State and 4-4 Washington State!
Wazzu opened as a -2.5 road favorite, but that moved through the key figure of -3 and now sits at Washington State -3.5. The total ticked down from 49.5 to 47.5.
There's potential rain in the forecast with some early breezy conditions in Corvallis, but nothing overly disruptive.
In a very scaled-back assessment, Washington State is a quality team, while Oregon State is about as bad as they come.
Since reorganizing the offensive approach, the Cougars have become a much more predictable and even-mannered team. Rogers understands that keeping the ball in the hands of the offense and winding the clock is the way to a bowl for Wazzu this season.
Few teams force more turnovers than Oregon State this season. Those turnovers are what sank Washington State early in the year, and the offense has cleaned those up lately.
Even though this line has moved through -3, I'm still siding with Wazzu.
I believe the movement slowed down because of that key figure, but I project a far more lopsided game, as Oregon State's bowl aspirations are truly dead now, and the focus shifts solely to a new coaching staff and keeping guys from transferring.
Oregon State's offense won't have the ball long enough to threaten enough points against Washington State's adjusted ball-control approach. That's why I'm siding with the Cougars both with the number and against the Beavers' team total.
Washington State just cleaned up against Toledo, which is a superior opponent to Oregon State, 28-7, last week. It held Ole Miss to 24 points and Virginia to 20 — both teams with exponentially more potent offenses than Oregon State.
I'm not overthinking here, and I won't be intimidated by the move through -3. Cougars all the way.
Pick: Washington State -3.5 · Oregon State Team Total Under 21.5
Washington State vs Oregon State Betting Trends
