Hawaii vs Washington State Predictions, Picks, Odds, How to Watch for College Football Saturday

Hawaii vs Washington State Predictions, Picks, Odds, How to Watch for College Football Saturday article feature image
Credit:

Darryl Oumi/Getty Images. Pictured: Hawaii’s Timmy Chang (left) and Brayden Schager (right).

We have a nonconference clash on Saturday afternoon in Pullman, Washington, as the Washington State Cougars (5-1) prepare to take on the visiting Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (2-4, 0-2 Mountain West).

The Bows covered the number against Boise State last week but lost, 28-7.

These teams are going in the opposite direction. The Cougars could run the table and potentially steal a College Football Playoff bid — although it's unlikely — while the Warriors are 2-4 on the season, needing to win four of their final six games to make a bowl game.

Oddsmakers believe the Cougs will win comfortably, as they currently sit as 18.5-point favorites with the total set at 55.5.

Let's summarize my Hawaii vs. Washington State predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Oct. 19.


Hawaii vs Washington State Odds, Spread, Pick

Hawaii Logo
Saturday, Oct. 19
3:30 p.m. ET
The CW
Washington State Logo
Hawaii Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
+18.5
-112
55.5
-108o / -112u
+675
Washington State Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
-18.5
-108
55.5
-108o / -112u
-1050
Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAF odds here.
DraftKings Logo
  • Hawaii vs Washington State spread: Washington State -18.5
  • Hawaii vs Washington State over/under: 55.5 points
  • Hawaii vs Washington State moneyline: Washington State -1050
  • Hawaii vs Washington State pick: Over 55.5

My Hawaii vs Washington State best bet is on the over, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.


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Hawaii vs Washington State Preview

Hawaii Football

Head coach Timmy Chang's offense appeared to pick up some rhythm heading into the Boise State game, but unfortunately for Hawaii, it was contained all evening long.

The Bows scored only seven points against the Broncos, and their defense was gashed all night long.

It's tough to predict what type of effort we'll get from the Rainbow Warriors here, but I know the Cougars are an overrated football team. Not to discredit them entirely for their record, but we'll dig into that more later.

Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager now draws a terrific matchup against a bad Cougs secondary. The Bows are a middling 69th in Pass Success Rate, but they're also top-50 in Offensive Line Yards, which will help when it comes to the run game.

Hawaii has struggled to sustain and finish drives, but this matchup could lift the offense. I don't expect the clock to run much with the Bows on offense, mainly because both teams love to run uptempo. Hawaii also loves to throw the ball and hands it off only 39% of the time.

There's also optimism that the defense will succeed in several key areas.

Defensively, Hawaii ranks 39th in Havoc and 38th in Rush Success Rate allowed, but its secondary has caused many problems.

The Cougs are a top-40 team in Pass Success Rate, and the Bows are below average in that defensive metric. However, Hawaii ranks 13th in PFF coverage.

It seems like an inflated number, but with their defense being a bit leaky, there's a much more robust approach than betting the Bows here.


Washington State Football

Before I get attacked by Cougars Nation on Twitter, I want to clarify that head coach Jake Dickert has done a terrific job. The Cougs lost quarterback Cam Ward to Miami in the offseason, and there was a lot of skepticism entering the season, especially with the Pac-12 wholly depleted.

But I'm still deciding whether or not to buy the Cougs quite yet. Let's take a look at who Washington State has faced thus far, and you can tell me if I'm overreacting or not:

  • Portland State
  • Texas Tech
  • Washington
  • San Jose State
  • Boise State
  • Fresno State

Texas Tech, Washington and Boise State are formidable foes, but are those two wins all that impressive? Boise destroyed this team, and Washington is trending down.

The Cougs have been a solid offensive team; there's no denying the metrics. They rank top-60 in the following offensive metrics:

  • Rush Success Rate
  • Pass Success Rate
  • Finishing Drives
  • Quality Drives

When they reach the 40-yard line, they're often coming away with touchdowns. Quarterback John Mateer has had a fine season, throwing for over 1,300 yards with 13 touchdown passes and four interceptions.

Wazzu ranks 19th in tempo, so expect the Cougs offense to have many possessions throughout the contest.

There are many advantages for Washington State in the offensive trench, so Mateer should have ample time to shred the Bows' secondary.

Defensively, there's a boatload of question marks. I'm lower on the Cougars than the market solely due to the defensive side of the ball.

They rank 35th in Defensive Line Yards, but they rank outside the top 80 in most other metrics. They're 25th in PFF Coverage grade, but they've allowed their opponents to score at will.

The Cougs should score enough to lift them in a big win, but I can't trust their defense to cover a large number.


Hawaii vs Washington State Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Hawaii and Washington State match up statistically:

Hawaii Offense vs. Washington State Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success6574
Line Yards4735
Pass Success6992
Havoc95105
Finishing Drives8099
Quality Drives108102
Washington State Offense vs. Hawaii Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success5738
Line Yards8481
Pass Success3974
Havoc8939
Finishing Drives5980
Quality Drives3774
Pace of Play / Other
PFF Tackling58133
PFF Coverage1325
Special Teams SP+102104
Middle 89059
Seconds per Play26.9 (57)24.3 (19)
Rush Rate39% (134)54% (71)

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Hawaii vs Washington State Prediction

I love the over in the matchup, as both offenses are in a position for great success.

Some underlying metrics suggest both secondaries are excellent in coverage, but I think they're going to get exposed by both quarterbacks here.

These offenses love to run tempo, so we should have many possessions for each unit. The Bows offense was shut down last week, but this matchup against the Cougs defense should be much easier.

The number is below a key number of 56, so I'll lock in the over before it increases. Expect big days from Schager and Mateer to provide most of the scoring.

Pick: Over 55.5 (Play to 56.5)

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Hawaii vs Washington State Live: Start Time, TV Channel, How to Watch

Location:Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA
Date:Saturday, Oct. 19
Kickoff Time:3:30 p.m. ET
TV / Streaming:The CW

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About the Author
John Feltman is a college football and college basketball writer for Action Network. He is also a middle school ELA teacher, plaguing his students' minds with the world of sports. He often uses his free periods at school to write and handicap the week's games. Feltman is also a movie junkie, reader and poker player, but most of all, he is a Dallas Cowboys fan. He has not missed a televised game since he was 10 years old. 

Follow John Feltman @johnfeltmanli on Twitter/X.

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