Wyoming Cowboys 2023 Futures Odds
Can Quarterback Peasley Get Passing Grades in His Second Season at Wyoming?
Plenty of Experience Returns on Defense for Wyoming in 2023
It doesn’t get much more mediocre than what the Wyoming Cowboys did a season ago when they were eighth in the Mountain Westin total defense and ninth in total offense. Still, with winning streaks of three and four games, Wyoming did make it to a bowl game. The Wyoming Cowboys future odds have another year when the Cowboys could be lingering around the .500 mark.
Former Vanderbilt receiver Devin Boddie Jr. is the most prominent incoming transfer. Losing offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon to Southern California, edge rusher Oluwaseyi Omotosho to Oregon State, and receiver Joshua Cobbs to Houston hurt the Cowboys. According to the 247sports.com database, Wyoming class of incoming recruits ranked 114th and the transfer class was 153rd.
Plenty of eyes will be on running back Harrison Waylee as he comes in from Northern Illinois after rushing for 899 yards in 11 games a season ago. He earned first-team preseason All-Mountain West Conference honors by Athlon, as did offensive lineman Frank Crum. Center Nofoafia Talafono joins tight end Treyton Welch as second-team All-Mountain West preseason selection.
Expect more production from Welch and receiver Wyatt Wieland after they combined for 45 catches and 607 yards a season ago.
With more interceptions than touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 51.3%, the quarterback play needs to get much better.
Andrew Peasley, who threw 130 passes in four seasons at Utah State, had a bit of a bumpy first season at Wyoming. Perhaps things will look a little different in 2023.
Peasley completed 59.7% of his passes in the seven wins. In the five games he played that the Cowboys lost, he completed just 43.7% of the passes. His yards per attempt fell from 6.8 yards in wins to 4.4 in losses.
Linemen Jordan Bertagnole, Devonne Harris, and Cole Godbout will lead Wyoming’s defense. Harris led the Cowboys with 8.5 sacks, Bertagnole had 50 tackles and five sacks, and having Godbout available for the entire season could be a huge bonus.
Linebackers Easton Gibbs and Shae Suiaunoa as safety Wyatt Ekeler were the top three tacklers a season ago and that could happen again in 2023. Still, that isn’t going to be enough for Wyoming to break into the NCAA football rankings.
When it comes to projecting NCAA football scores, keep in mind that five of Wyoming’s final six games in 2022 finished under the total.
National Championship Odds: The Longest of Long Shots
The list of Football Bowl Subdivision teams with longer odds to win the national title is pretty short. Actually, it is non-existent. The Cowboys are priced at +100000. There are more than 50 teams with those odds, and they are in a similar situation of hoping to become bowl eligible. However, earning one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff field is not going to happen when it comes to the Wyoming Cowboys future odds.
Conference Odds: Cowboys Have Some Work to Do
Wyoming is fifth at +1200 in the NCAA football odds to win the Mountain West title with Boise State, Fresno State, Air Force, and San Diego State all ahead of the Cowboys.
Wyoming defeated Air Force a season ago but lost to Boise State and Fresno State in the final two games of the regular season so keep that in mind when it comes to the Wyoming Cowboys future odds.
The defense could be an improved unit. The passing game will need to show some progress for the Cowboys to be in contention to make its first appearance in the Mountain West title game.
Regular Season Wins: Another Seven-Win Season in the Cards?
Wyoming was 4-0 in one-score games during the regular season and still finished with just seven wins. Will the Cowboys be able to win as many close games in 2023?
Expectations are somewhat low with even odds to surpass 6.5 wins and -130 to go under that total.
Two of the first three games come against Texas Tech and Texas so that puts more pressure on the matchups with Portland State and Appalachian State for the Cowboys to pick up some victories before Mountain West Conference play begins against a New Mexico team picked to finish last in the Mountain West before facing Fresno State, Air Force, and Boise State in the next three games.
To Make the Playoffs: A Bowl Trip Would Be Good Enough
Wyoming has played in a bowl game in four of the last five full seasons and that should be the goal once again. Perhaps the Cowboys could prove those making preseason predictions wrong by finishing in the top five in the Mountain West standings. However, making it into the College Football Playoff field will not happen.
Most of the challenging conference games are early in the season so perhaps Wyoming can put itself in a position to move up in the Mountain West standings with a strong finish. That didn’t happen in 2022 with three losses to end the season.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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