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WSU Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats Week 12 Betting Predictions & Preview

Washington St vs Arizona NCAA Football Odds

The Washington State Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats are set to square off Saturday night in a battle that will feature two offenses with very different looks.

Washington State (4-5, 2-4 Pac-12) @ Arizona (6-3, 3-3 Pac-12)
Saturday, Nov. 16 2:00 PM ET @ Arizona Stadium
Spread: Arizona -12
O/U: 66
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The Wildcats, despite averaging nearly 35 points per game, find very little success through the air.

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Their attack comes on the ground, which couldn’t be further away from how WSU prepares each week.

Washington State

The Cougars are the third-worst running team in the country, and I wouldn’t expect any surprises in that category 12 weeks into the season. The team from Pullman, Wash. collects just 52.1 yards per contest on the ground, as they rely heavily on the passing attack in Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.

On the season, Washington State is seventh in the nation in passing yards per contest. Connor Halliday has thrown for nearly 3,100 yards, as well as 20 touchdowns in the process. The problem is that he has also tossed 18 interceptions, which is the No. 1 reason the team is averaging fewer than 30 points per game.

Defensively, the Cougars have to hone in on a team that plays the exact opposite style. The main focus has to be slowing down Ka’Deem Carey, as the tailback has 11 touchdowns on the season, but just because the Wildcats don’t have as big of an impact through the air doesn’t mean their quarterback won’t be involved.
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B.J. Denker has 11 touchdowns to just four interceptions passing, but he also has 11 scores on the ground. Getting pressure on the quarterback is important, but WSU might be wise to leave a few men back to spy on where the ball ultimately ends up.

Arizona

The Wildcats are coming off of a tough 31-26 loss to the No. 19 UCLA Bruins, but ultimately they’ve won three out of their last four contests. The Cougars, on the other hand, have dropped three straight; none of which have even been close.

Despite its recent loss, Arizona has the clear momentum in this game. Not to mention, it has a one-dimensional offense coming in to challenge its defense—a defense that is allowing just 22 points per contest, which is good enough for 29th in the nation.

Offensively, Arizona should be just fine with its two-headed ground attack. The Cougars are just 96th in the FBS in points allowed per contest, and Arizona’s offense has shown what it can do against subpar defenses this season. The game will come down to what the Wildcats can do against Washington State’s passing attack, and luckily for them, they have home-field advantage on their side.

Historically speaking, underdogs have a huge advantage in this one against the spread. The underdog is 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings; the problem is that WSU is 2-6 ATS in the last eight head-to-head battles.

The score has gone over the projected number in 11 of Arizona’s last 15 games on grass. A high-scoring contest favors the Wildcats in this one, which is what we should expect to see come Saturday.

Prediction: Arizona 45 – Washington State 27

By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"