Wisconsin vs Washington State Prediction - College Football Picks 9/9/23

The Washington State Cougars and Wisconsin Badgers face off on Saturday in a Week 2 College Football showdown at Martin Stadium. 

Wisconsin Needs Time To Gel

The final score of the first game for Wisconsin looked good, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. At halftime, Wisconsin was up only 14-10 but in the second half, they pulled away and ended up winning 38-17. Luke Fickell was hired to take over the Wisconsin job, and he has brought in a bunch of new guys. It’s clear after the first game though, it’s going to take a while for this team to gel. Under center for Wisconsin is Tanner Mordecai and he completed 24 of his 31 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He needs to clean up the interceptions or it’s going to end up being a problem this season. 

Wisconsin Betting Trends

• Wisconsin has won 26 of its last 30 games against non-conference opponents.
• Wisconsin has covered the spread in six of its last seven road openers.
• Wisconsin has won the first half in eight of its last nine games against non-conference opponents.
• Each of Wisconsin's last three games in September have gone OVER the total points line.

Big Test for Washington State

Washington State looked impressive in the first game, but this game should really tell us how good they actually might be. In the first game against Colorado State, Washington State outscored Colorado State 17-3 and they never looked back on the on the way to the 50-24 victory. Under center for Washington State is Cameron Ward and he completed 37 of his 49 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed 13 times for 40 yards and a touchdown. It’s clear this is going to be a pass first team again this season and they are going to need a more balanced attack this season.