The Colorado Buffaloes are on the road on Friday night to take on the Washington State Cougars in Pac-12 action inside Gesa Field. Colorado (4-6, 1-6 in Pac-12) is on a four-game losing streak after a 34-31 home loss to the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. Washington State (4-6, 1-6) is on a six-game losing streak after a 42-39 road loss Saturday against the California Golden Bears.
Will the Buffs be able to remain bowl eligible or will the Cougars figure out how to stop Shedeur Sanders and get back in the win column?
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Washington State Cougars Betting Odds and Match Details
| Team | Spread | Total | MoneyLine |
| Colorado | +4.5
-112 |
O64
-112 |
+170 |
| Washington State | -4.5
-108 |
U64
-108 |
-205 |
| **Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook** | |||
- Fixture: Colorado @ Washington State
- Date and Time: November 17, 2023 @ 10:30 pm EST
- Location: Gesa Field in Pullman, Washington
Key Stats
Colorado Buffaloes
- Points Per Game: 30.5
- Points Allowed Per Game: 33.9
- 3rd Down Efficiency: 40.4%
- 4th Down Efficiency: 63.64%
- Net Passing Yards Per Game: 314.7
- Yards Per Pass Attempt: 7.5
- Passing TDs: 26
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 69.9
- Rushing TDs: 11
- Sacks: 24
- Interceptions: 10
The Colorado Buffaloes have been struggling lately and a big reason why has been the inability of the offensive line to protect quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He has been playing well throughout the season as he is 292-of-420 (69.5 completion percentage) for 3,144 yards with 26 touchdowns and three interceptions.
The offense has some solid players, such as wide receivers Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. That is not mentioning their two-way star Travis Hunter. The inability to run the football has made the team struggle, especially in the Pac-12 conference against some tough opponents.
Their defense has struggled as well, giving up 25+ points in their last four games. With some solid playmakers like Hunter and cornerback Omarion Cooper, this defense has the makings of being strong and should flex its muscles in this week’s matchup against Washington State.
Washington State Cougars
- Points Per Game: 30.7
- Points Allowed Per Game: 29.9
- 3rd Down Efficiency: 41.22%
- 4th Down Efficiency: 45.83%
- Net Passing Yards Per Game: 337.9
- Yards Per Pass Attempt: 7.9
- Passing TDs: 22
- Rushing Yards Per Game: 83.2
- Rushing TDs: 14
- Sacks: 17
- Interceptions: 6
Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against California, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
After starting off the season 4-0, the Washington State Cougars have dropped their last six games and have not done much to incite much excitement. This offense loves to pass the football as they rank third in the nation in passing yards per game behind junior quarterback Cameron Ward. Ward is 274-of-408 (67.2 completion percentage) for 3,127 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Their defense needs to step up and get stops as they are not doing that. With 17 sacks as a team and a weak Colorado offensive line, they should be having a field day getting to the quarterback. Senior defensive end Brennan Jackson leads the program with 6.5 sacks and should be constantly in the backfield if the Cougars want to avoid a seventh consecutive loss.
Game Prediction
When we have two bad teams facing off, things are going to be interesting. Colorado has been doing better scoring the football as of late, averaging 27.3 points in their last four games while Washington State is scoring 20.6 points in their previous five games. The Buffaloes are the more talented team and are 2-2 in their last four road games. Go with them to snap their losing streak and have their bowl eligibility depend on the final week of the regular season.
Final Pick
Colorado Buffaloes +172 ML
