Apple Cup Spread Prediction
With their college football playoff hopes intact, the Washington State Cougars can’t afford to slip up Friday night in the “Apple Cup.” Will they cover the small spread as a home favorite versus the Washington Huskies at 8:30 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot
143 Washington Huskies at 144 Washington State Cougars
8:30 p.m. ET, Friday, November 23, 2018
Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Cougars are 2.5-point favorites to beat the Huskies. The total, meanwhile, sits at 49.5 points. As of this writing, 70% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Cougars.
Washington Huskies
Washington senior QB Jake Browning completed 17-of-23 passes for 242 yards with three scores in a 42-23 victory over Oregon State on Saturday. Browning was outstanding — particularly in the first half — and has his second three-score passing game of the season. He also ran for 30 yards, and he showed the accuracy and poise that made him a star as a sophomore. If Browning plays like this next Friday, the Huskies have an excellent chance of upsetting Washington State and playing for a conference championship.
Washington State Cougars
Washington State senior QB Gardner Minshew is one of the three finalists for the Davey O’Brien Award. Minshew is joined by Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray for the award, which goes to the top quarterback in the country. Minshew is absolutely deserving; and is coming off a seven-touchdown, 473-yard performance against Arizona. If he performs like this against Washington — or even close to that — he’s got a shot at winning the award.
Betting Trends
Washington
The Huskies are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
Washington State
The Cougars are 8-1 against the spread in their last nine games coming off a win.
Prediction
The Huskies are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games versus the Cougars and are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games played in Pullman. That said, I’m bucking those trends and taking Wazzu. It’s hard to bet against Mike Leach and Co. right now. The Cougars are 17-5 against the spread in their last 22 games, are 25-10 ATS in their last 35 conference matchups and are 6-1 at the betting window in their last seven games when playing an opponent with a winning record. Meanwhile, the Huskies are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight road games, are winless at 0-7 ATS in their last seven conference games and have not covered a point spread in six consecutive games. This is Wazzu’s year in the Pac-12 and I will not be fading the Cougars in this spot.
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College Football Prediction: Washington State Cougars -2.5