Wisconsin vs Washington State Preview: Badgers Face First Road Test Under Fickell

The No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers will look to stay perfect under new head coach Luke Fickell when they visit the Washington State Cougars on Saturday at Martin Stadium. Wisconsin ran past Buffalo 38-17 in its opener, while Washington State drubbed Colorado State, 50-24.

Wisconsin is a 6.5-point favorite (-110) and -225 to win outright, while Washington State is +185 on the moneyline. The projected total is 58.5 (-110). Read on as we break down the odds in our Wisconsin vs Washington State preview.

Badgers Run Wild

So far, so good in the Luke Fickell Era. The Wisconsin Badgers picked up their first win under their new head coach, beating Buffalo 38-17. While the 19th-ranked Badgers didn’t cover the 27.5-point spread, they did just about everything else after a slow start.

Much of the Badgers’ production came on the ground, where they averaged 7.9 yards per carry. Chez Mellusi (157 yards) and Braelon Allen (141 yards) each piled up 100-plus yards and two touchdowns, and the Badgers ran for 314 yards as a team. They built a 14-10 halftime lead before pulling away with 17 unanswered points to begin the second half.

In that sense, things went as planned for Fickell and Co. Expectations are high, with Wisconsin projected for 9.0 wins (+125 Over, -145 Under). And last Saturday was just the start of what Fickell hopes will be a very fruitful season for his squad. Coming off a 7-6 finish that culminated with a victory over Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, the Badgers are favored to win the Big Ten West and have the fourth-best conference odds (+800) behind Michigan (+175), Ohio State (+180) and Penn State (+400), according to college football lines.

The Badgers’ new-look offense still has work to do. SMU transfer Tanner Mordecai threw an interception during a mediocre first half against Buffalo, but there was little else to worry about once the ground game got going. Mordecai finished with a strong 77.4 completion percentage. He remains a big reason why the Badgers find themselves back in the NCAA football rankings.

Cougars Roar to Strong Start

The Washington State Cougars took care of business in their season opener, hammering Colorado State 50-24. The Cougars opened a 17-3 halftime lead and covered the 12-point spread with ease, racking up 556 yards of offense.

Cameron Ward did most of the heavy lifting, completing 37-of-49 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns. Lincoln Victor led the Cougars in receiving with 11 catches for 168 yards.

Projected for 6.5 wins (-135 Over, +115 Under), Washington State couldn’t have asked for a much better start. Ward, who threw for 3,231 yards and 23 touchdowns last fall, is already showing a strong rapport with his new supporting cast, which must replace its top four receivers from 2022. Keep that in mind when assessing the odds in our Wisconsin vs Washington State preview.

Washington State is unlikely to challenge the top of the Pac 12, as seen by its +6000 conference odds. At the moment, only four schools (Arizona, California, Arizona State and Stanford) are facing longer odds. But some early success on the NCAAF schedule could go a long way for Jake Dickert’s squad.

The Cougars are coming off their second consecutive 7-6 season, which ended with a 29-6 loss to Fresno State in the LA Bowl.

Handicapping the Game

After an impressive showing in the opener, Wisconsin now heads west for its first road test of the season. Washington State is by no means a contender in the Pac 12, but the Cougars are good enough to win six or seven games again and return to a bowl for the third consecutive season.

The deciding factor in this non-conference showdown could be Wisconsin’s ground game. If the Badgers get anywhere near the production they received against Buffalo, Washington State could be in for a long day. And that doesn’t even account for what Mordecai can provide with more repetition. Because of that, look for Wisconsin to cover the spread in our Wisconsin vs Washington State preview.

For college football betting news, odds analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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