The latest chapter in the rivalry between the Washington State Cougars and Washington Huskies needed overtime to settle up, with WSU edging its rivals 90-87 back in early February.
These Evergreen State foes are at it again tonight (the last time as Pac-12 members), with the Cougars hosting the Huskies as 6.5-point favorites on the college basketball odds board.
While Washington State is destined for more this season — sitting second in the Pac-12 and No. 18 in the polls — nothing would thrill Washington like raining on Wazzu’s parade in the regular season finale.
I pick through the spread and Over/Under total in basketball’s version of the Apple Cup and give my best college basketball picks for Washington vs. Washington State on March 7.
Washington vs Washington State best odds
Washington vs Washington State picks and predictions
Perhaps no player on the Washington State Cougars embodies the team’s two-way play better than senior Isaac Jones.
The 6-foot-9 forward averages more than 15 points and is a force on the defensive end, blocking at least a shot a game on the year. He also grabs 7.5 rebounds per contest for the Cougars.
Jones will clean the glass against the Washington Huskies tonight, with UW ranked 244th in opponent rebounds per game. The frenetic pace on offense produces a surplus of field goal attempts for both Washington and its opponents, which means more opportunities for rebounders.
Jones snatched seven boards against the Huskies when these foes clashed on February 3. Both teams shot better than 51% from the field, so there weren’t that many misses to wrangle for either side. However, with the venue switching to Pulman, expect a better defensive effort from the Cougars.
Jones’ rebounding stats have slimmed in recent games, with floor trouble limiting his minutes. He totaled 11 boards against Arizona State on Feb. 24 but managed to stack totals of five, five, six, and five in four of his last five outings.
That has his player prop for rebounding at 6.5 tonight, with some books juicing the Over heavily to as high as -152. Player projections for Jones are calling for 8.4 boards against UW and you can shop around and get the Over as low as -126.
My best bet: Isaac Jones Over 6.5 rebounds (-125 at FanDuel)
Washington vs Washington State same-game parlay
Given the pace of this game, rebound attempts will be up. Jones is forecast for more than eight boards.
Washington State will have a packed house and won’t let UW get the last laugh in their Pac-12 rivalry.
Brooks has been filling it up for the Huskies and with little to lose on the line, the senior will have the green light in his final regular season contest. He dropped 35 points on WSU in their first meeting.
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Washington vs Washington State spread and Over/Under analysis
Oddsmakers opened Washington State as a 6.5-point home favorite and that is the current market consensus as of early Thursday morning with some books showing WSU -7.
According to Covers Consensus, 67% of picks are laying the points with the Cougars inside Beasley Coliseum tonight.
Washington State has tasted defeat only once at home this season, owning a 15-1 SU record and a 9-7 mark against the spread. The Cougars are one of the best two-way teams in the Pac-12, ranked No. 2 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Wazzu leans into the defensive end a little more at home, where it allows only 64.3 points per contest and checks visitors to an effective field goal rate of 45.1%. Only one of the last six teams to venture on to Friel Court have managed to crack the 70-point plateau.
Barring a miracle run in the Pac-12 tournament, the Huskies don’t have many postseason plans. Washington has four wins in its last nine, including that OT loss at home to WSU. And looking at UW’s last five, they’ve come up short against the spread with a 1-3-1 ATS count.
Washington plays one of the quicker tempos in the conference and can score, with that offensive pop traveling as well. The Huskies score just short of 80 points per road game and take the sting out of a defense thanks to ranks among the worst in the Pac-12. Washington allows almost 81 points per road game, going 4-6 SU but 6-4 ATS in true road games.
Tonight’s Over/Under total opened at 149.5 points and is sitting as high as 150 as of Thursday morning. Covers Consensus shows 67% of picks siding with the Over in this final Pac-12 matchup between these state rivals.
The Cougars are 14-16 Over/Under on the season, with a 10-6 O/U count at home. Washington State had played Under the total in five of six games before going Over in its two home wins against USC and UCLA.
The Huskies are one of the better Over bets in the conference at 17-12 O/U but are just 5-5 O/U as a visitor. Washington has gone Over the closing total in four of its last five contests heading into Thursday.
The added period helped these foes put up 177 combined points in their first meeting on Feb. 3, but they had already blown past the closing total of 149.5 points with 166 of those points coming in regulation.
Washington vs Washington State betting trend to know
Washington State has won outright on the moneyline in 21 of its last 30 games (+16.05 units). Find more college basketball betting trends for Washington vs. Washington State.
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Washington vs Washington State game info
Location: | Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, WA |
Date: | Thursday, March 7, 2024 |
Tip-off: | 9:00 p.m. ET |
TV: | FS1 |
Washington vs Washington State key injuries
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