College football odds Week 9: How to bet Utah-Washington State, pick

The Utah Utes (3-1 in Pac-12 Conference play, 4-3 overall) play at the Washington State Cougars (1-3, 4-3) under the lights Thursday night as a competitive series resumes.

The Utes, who joined the Pac-12 in 2011, lead the all-time series 10-9, winning the past three contests after stopping a four-game win streak by WSU. 

Here's everything you need from a betting perspective on the Utah-Washington State game, from the point spread, moneyline, total Over/Under and a pick from our gambling expert (odds via FOX Bet)

No. 14 Utah at Washington State (10 p.m. ET Thursday, FS1 and FOX Sports App)

Point spread: Utah -7 (Utah favored to win by more than 7 points, otherwise Washington State covers)
Moneyline: Utah -278 favorite to win (bet $10 to win $13.60 total); Washington State +210 underdog to win (bet $10 to win $31 total)
Total scoring Over/Under: 55.5 points scored by both teams combined

Pick via FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz:

I love my Pac-12 conference. Because of that love, I get frustrated with our conference. Why are the Utah Utes — the preseason conference championship favorites — going on the road to play a Thursday night football game at one of the two venues in the conference where weird stuff happens? Just ask USC this question. Who, in 2017, went to Pullman on a Friday night as the fifth-ranked team in the nation and ended up losing 30-27? Yep, the Trojans. 

This is just not a kind place for ranked teams to play under the lights of Martin Stadium. However, I’m not taking Washington State with the points. I’m going with the Under.

Washington State is 4-3, and in six of the Cougars' games, the Under hit. That's because the Cougars are outstanding on defense but very limited at scoring points on offense. Defensively, they rank 29th in points per drive and are led by a defensive line that has a high havoc rate. Ron Stone Jr., Brennan Jackson and Daiyan Henley have 46 combined pressures and 20 tackles for loss.

Utah’s offensive line is 90th in pressure allowed and 118th in the percentage of blown blocks in the running game. Washington State should have success slowing down Utah’s offense with its ability to control the line of scrimmage. Utah’s passing offense is quite simple. Get the ball to tight end Dalton Kincaid. USC, the Utes last opponent, couldn’t seem to figure this out. But I’m willing to wager that the Cougars staff has an answer for him. They’ve shown the ability to shut down high-powered offensives like USC and Oregon State in their last two games. 

Washington State’s offense just can’t score. When the Cougars hosted the Ducks, they scored 41 points and generated all four of their explosive pass plays on unsustainable trick plays and on Hail Mary throws. That was an outlier game. Other than that matchup, they are averaging 25 points per game. In their last three conference games that number drops to 14 points. The Cougars do not generate explosive pass plays. They rank 103rd in passing explosiveness and 119th in air yards per pass. No surprise that their average third-down distance is 8.4 yards. Yikes. Their offensive line, ranked 115th in pressure rate, is really struggling. And in their short bye week, the Cougars announced they've made some changes to that unit. 

Utah’s defense is not what it once was. The Utes have allowed 42 points in back-to-back games against UCLA and USC. Both of those offenses are ranked in the top 15 nationally in efficiency. When they’ve played worse offenses like Oregon State and Arizona State, they’ve allowed 13 and 16 points. 

Washington State’s offense just won’t be able to score in this game. That is why it’s difficult to take points with the Cougars. Utah can have a weird game and still win 24-13 and cover. 

The Under is the play here.

PICK: Under 55 points scored by both teams combined at FOX Bet

Are you ready for some college football? If so, head over to FOX Bet for all your wagers.

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