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The Washington State Cougars take on the Utah State Aggies in Logan, Utah. Kickoff is set for 9:00 p.m. EDT on The CW.
Utah State is favored by -5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -210. The total is set at 43.5 points.
Here’s my Washington State vs. Utah State prediction and college football pick for Friday, October 9, 2026.
Washington State vs Utah State Prediction
- Washington State vs. Utah State Pick: Utah State Team Total Under 24.5 Points (-120 or better)
My Utah State vs. Washington State best bet is on under the Aggies' win total. 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 Utah State Odds
| Washington St Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -108 | 43.5 -115o / -105u | +172 |
| Utah State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -112 | 43.5 -115o / -105u | -210 |
- Washington State vs Utah State point spread: Utah State -5.5 (-112), Washington State +5.5 (-108)
- Washington State vs Utah State over/under: 43.5 (-115o / -105u)
- Washington State vs Utah State moneyline: Washington State +172, Utah State -210
Washington State vs Utah State College Football Preview
Washington State Cougars Betting Preview: Season of Broken Promises
On paper, it appeared Washington State was going to, at the very least, have an exciting offense. Transfer Caden Pinnick shone despite a lack of physical weapons at UC Davis, the new head coach was hot-shot offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, and the skill corps featured some veteran playmakers in Kirby Vorhees and Tony Freeman.
But Freeman was lost for the season to an injury, Pinnick has failed to translate to the FBS and is on the verge of getting benched, and an atrocious offensive line tanked all hopes for a productive scoring unit.
This offensive spider chart is so bad it's worth a look:
Three times this year, Wazzu hasn't managed to find the end zone more than once. Pinnick bottomed out against Kansas State, where he completed 9-of-20 passes for 66 yards, and the offense bottomed out against Fresno State, where it failed to gain 200 total yards. It's worth at least acknowledging that all four of Wazzu's FBS opponents rank inside the top 35 nationally in points per drive, but these performances are pathetic.
Defense is better, but not by much. Overall, the unit ranks 93rd in points per drive, aided by playing struggling offenses like Washington. A veteran defensive line led by DE Matyus McLain has played well, but the secondary isn't good enough to hold its own. Wazzu sits 91st in Passing Success Rate and 98th in yards per dropback. Relief isn't on the way as Wazzu plays two of the top 40 passing attacks in the country over its next three games.
Utah State Aggies Betting Preview: Defense to the Rescue
Utah State is a football program that has found out it has not been able to keep up in the NIL era. Since 2022, the Aggies have a losing record and have not finished above .500 despite employing a proven, premier college football coach in Bronco Mendenhall. For the last three seasons, the defense has been completely broken; this year, it's the offense's turn. OC Kevin McGiven left for rival Utah, and that has dragged Utah State down to 122nd in points per drive.
Veteran McCae Hillstead returned to the program, but he's struggled to stay on the field, playing non-consecutive one-and-a-half games (Week 1 and half of Week 5). The offense turns the ball over too much, aided by QB Grady Brosterhous' six interceptions in 4.5 games (10!! turnover-worthy throws, per PFF), and the team commits too many penalties. The penalties are partially a result of the offensive line being handily outmanned and being constantly shuffled around; 10 linemen have logged 80+ snaps this year, and five of them have logged 30+ snaps at two different positions. As a result, the line accounts for 18 penalties this season.
Fortunately, Utah State's defense is finally coming around after four seasons of 90th or worse in points per drive. The Aggies held Utah to 33 points (10 fewer than Arkansas) and Washington to 16 (though that unit is broken, still an accomplishment given the talent differential). Linebacker Asher Cunningham, star safety Brevin Hamblin, and DE Carson Tujague make up a solid backbone of this unit.
So long as the No. 1 unit stays healthy, Utah State will continue to field a respectable defense. The offense needs significant improvement, however.
Washington State vs Utah State Pick, Betting Analysis
Utah State opened as a slight -1.5 favorite over Washington State, but that grew to -4 by Monday. The point total dropped from 46.5 to as low as 43.5, where it encountered some resistance. Both Utah State and the under were sharp sides early in the week, but movement has fully erased any value there. Interestingly, Washington State does have some big money on it to win the game outright (75% of the hold with just 10% of the bets).
Moore will assume offensive play-calling duties this week, and Pinnick isn't guaranteed to be the starter. Redshirt sophomore Julian Dugger and redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman were the other two preseason options to start, but neither one has taken a snap yet this season. Given the possibility of a total reset and the uncertainty that could bring, I'm not interested in betting sides or game totals here.
Instead, I'm looking to Utah State's team total, which sits at 24.5 points. The Aggies have yet to score 24 or more this year, including at home against FCS Idaho State (lost 29-17), and that was with Hillstead in the lineup. This season, only 16.4% of Utah State's drives have ended in touchdowns, ninth-worst in the FBS (but better than Washington State's 14%!).
Those familiar with college football know the name of Utah State's new OC: Robert Anae. In his career, Anae has orchestrated some pretty underwhelming offenses, and working with this group sans its starting QB is a real challenge. Brosterhous is an effective rusher (over 300 yards), but his propensity to put the ball in harm's way cannot be ignored.
Pick: Utah State Team Total Under 24.5 Points (-120 or better)
Washington State vs Utah State Betting Trends
