Year two under coach Jake Dickert saw some progress for Washington State. While the Cougars weren’t a top-25 candidate, Washington State earned a spot in the LA Bowl and finished with a 7-6 record. The challenge for the Washington State Cougars this season will be trying to crack into the upper half of the Pac 12.

Last season, Washington State finished seventh in the conference and went 0-5 against teams that finished above them in the standings. If the Cougars are going to build on that, they will need to threaten some of the top programs.

Let’s break down Washington State this year. Here’s the preview for your college football betting lines to win the NCAA National Championship.

Washington State Cougars 2023 College Football Betting Season | MyBookie College Regular Sesason Betting Preview

Washington State Cougars | Pac–12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season
School: Washington State University
Head coach: Jake Dickert | 3rd season
Home field: Martin Stadium | 32,952

Washington State Odds to Win Championship: +3200
Utah State Odds to Win Mountain West Conference: +3100

What Washington State Had to Lean On

Quarterback Cameron Ward helped transform the Cougars passing game after transferring in from Incarnate Word last season. Ward passed for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. He only threw nine interceptions.

Washington State added a number of veteran players in the transfer portal to help lead the offensive attack. The Cougars brought in UNLV’s Kyle Williams, Fresno State’s Josh Kelly and San Jose State’s Isaiah Hamilton at wide receiver.

The Cougars will lean on Wisconsin transfer Nakia Watson to play at running back. He had 769 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Expectations Aren’t High

The Cougars are expected to land in the middle of the Pac 12 again. Washington State has an over/under win total of 6.5. The Cougars are +4000 to win the Pac 12.

Non-Conference Schedule will Provide Some Challenges

The Cougars will play two of their three non-conference games at home. The most intriguing of those challenges is a Sept. 9 home date with Wisconsin. The Cougars will be taking on a Wisconsin program going through a transition.

The Badgers fired long-time coach Paul Chryst in the middle of the season and brought Luke Fickell up from Cincinnati. Washington State may be able to grab an upset win over a program in transition.

Cougars Avoid the Trojans

Washington State won’t have to worry about tackling highly-regarded USC during the regular season. The Pac 12 schedule will prevent challenges, as always. The Cougars will have road trips to UCLA, Oregon, Arizona State, California, and Washington.

The trip to Eugene to take on Oregon Oct. 21 won’t be an easy task for Washington State. Washington State’s Apple Cup rivalry game with Washington has been one-sided as of late. The Cougars have only beaten the Huskies twice in their past 10 meetings. Closing the season with a win over Washington would provide a big spark for the program.

Home Schedule Isn’t Too Daunting

Washington State will host Oregon State, Arizona, Stanford, and Colorado at home in Pac-12 play. The Cougars will need to most, if not all, of those games to stay in the race for a bowl bid.

Washington State Cougars First Game Odds of the Season

Washington State Cougars -16.5; Colorado State Rams +16.5
September 2nd at 5:00 pm | Canvas Stadium

Washington State Cougars 2023 Season Prediction

The Cougars should find a way to sneak over 6.5 wins this season. Even if a win over Wisconsin isn’t in the Cards, Washington State doesn’t have to worry about playing either of the teams, Utah and USC, which appeared in the Pac 12 title game last season.

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