Washington vs Washington State Picks and Odds (Dec. 29)

• Washington State is a 13.5-point favorite over Washington on Wednesday (Dec. 29th) at 11 pm ET at the Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, WA
• The Cougars have seen each of their past four games fall short of the total
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

Wednesday night features just one Pac-12 contest in the college hoops world, but it’s a big one if you’re from the state of Washington. The hometown Cougars host rival Washington, looking to for just their second win in their past five outings.

The Huskies meanwhile, enter play losers of back-to-back contests and have just 10 games on their resume due to a COVID outbreak earlier this month.

Washington vs Washington State Odds

Odds as of Dec. 28th at FanDuel.

Washington State opened up as a 13.5-point favorite, in a game that features a total of 135.5. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 pm ET at the Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, WA, with ESPNU providing the coverage.

Washington State Cougars Betting Analysis

The Cougars last outing came exactly one week ago versus Boise State. They dropped a 58-52 decision to the Broncos, in large part due to some horrendous shooting. Washington State knocked down only 30.5% of its shots, and were a dismal 7-for-24 from behind the arc. They were just 60% from the charity stripe, and managed only five assists.

FINAL
Cougs come up short in Spokane against Boise State#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/pM0Jt3U1iI

— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) December 23, 2021

Tyrell Roberts led the way with 16 points, while Andrej Jakimovski added 11 points and 12 boards. The offensive performance was a bit of an outlier and likely a product of an elite Boise State defense. The Cougars average 75.7 points per game, although they do shoot just 42.5% from the field.

They compensate for their mediocre shooting on most nights by dominating on the glass. Washington State ranks 34th in total rebounding, and boast the 12th best offensive rebounding percentage in the nation.

.@andrejjaki23 with the tip in for his first career double-double#GoCougs

📺| Pac-12 Network
📱| https://t.co/blU5tuVw6p pic.twitter.com/e6YvdR4m4J

— Washington State Men's Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) December 23, 2021

The Cougars held Boise State to 36% from the field, and 25% from three, which is not uncommon for this defense. They yield an average of only 63.3 points per night, while ranking 31st in opponent shooting percentage, and 10th in opponent assists.

Washington Huskies Betting Analysis

Washington State’s defense will run into a favorable matchup versus Washington’s offense on Wednesday, as the Huskies have struggled to score this season. They rank 185th in points per game, and are shooting just 39%, which ranks 314th in the country.

Wheels up to Pullman ✈️ #TougherTogether pic.twitter.com/E41zvbFlvE

— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) December 28, 2021

Defensively, Washington’s numbers aren’t much better. They’re coughing up 71.2 points per game, and rank 115th in opponent shooting percentage.

This will be just the Huskies third game since November 27th, and last time out they managed only 52 points in a 16 point loss to Utah Valley. Terrell Brown Jr. paced the offense with 23 points and 6 rebounds, but the rest of the team was ice cold from the field. Washington shot 35% overall, and missed all 11 three-point attempts.

.@TerrellNBrown's making it happen on BOTH ends of the floor 💪

📺 Pac-12 Washington
📱 https://t.co/Gw9fs68tRQ pic.twitter.com/BUSPgn23Eu

— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) December 22, 2021

They allowed the Wolverines to knock down 43.4% of their looks, and the game would have been a complete blowout if not for 20 Utah Valley turnovers.

Washington vs Washington State Pick

The Huskies are 1-3 versus top-120 competition this season, and have yet to face a team rated as highly in KenPom’s efficiency metrics (47th) as Washington State. They’re 3-7 against the spread this season, while six of their 10 contests have fallen under the total.

Speaking of low scoring games, the Cougars are no strangers to those. Their last contest versus Boise State produced only 110 points, while each of their past four outings have failed to eclipse the total. The under is 8-5 in their 13 games, and given the strength of their defense combined with Washington’s weak offense, this contest is likely to underwhelm in the boxscore as well.

Pick: Under 135.5 (-110)