Odds to Win Washington State Starting QB Role Is a Tight Three-Way Race Between Gubrud, Gordon & Tinsley
- You can wager on which Washington State QB will be the team’s Week 1 starter
- Gage Gubrud is favored over Anthony Gordon and Trey Tinsley, but the margin is closer than expected given Gubrud’s pedigree
- Who is the best bet to start the Cougars season opener vs New Mexico State on August 31?
Mike Leach’s teams are known for scoring a lot of points no matter who’s under center. That kind of flexibility is important because with less than a month to go before the season kicks off, Washington State still hasn’t named a starting quarterback.
Washington State’s Starting QB Week 1 Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Gage Gubrud | +100 |
| Anthony Gordon | +150 |
| Trey Tinsley | +250 |
Odds taken 07/31/19.
Graduate transfer Gage Gubrud is currently favored over Antony Gordon and Trey Tinsley, but the margin is much closer than you’d expect. Gubrud missed all but the final spring practice with a foot injury, but now that he’s fully healthy the Cougars starting job should be his to lose.
Gubrud Is a Cut Above the Rest
Washington State fans know Gubrud from his days at Eastern Washington, where he started twice against the Cougars, and lit them up for 474 passing yards and five touchdowns back in 2016.
College football transfers who will make an impact in 2019
Per @YahooSports
Hunter Johnson QB Northwestern
Shane Buechele QB SMU
Gage Gubrud QB Washington State
Austin Kendall QB West Virginia
Brandon Wimbush QB Central Florida— secsportstalk (@secsportstalkCF) July 31, 2019
He was a two-time All-American at EWU, a Walter Payton Award Finalist and a threat to beat you at anytime with his arm or his legs.
2nd, 11:40 | Gage Gubrud with a little fake and then takes it 21-yards with his own legs for the Eagle First Down!
?14 ?3#ProtecTheRed #BigSkyFB #GoEags pic.twitter.com/dPMRMAgnmn
— EWU Football (@EWUFootball) September 22, 2018
He racked up nearly 10,000 passing yards and 87 touchdowns at EWU and is a modest 100-1 Heisman Trophy candidate. His ability to extend plays and take off when necessary is a trait Leach covets and he’s the only quarterback on the roster with any kind of experience.
Experience Matters
Gubrud started 28 games in three and a half seasons at EWU compiling an impressive 21-7 record. Gordon and Tinsley meanwhile, have appeared in only two games a piece, combining for just 14 total pass attempts.
Gordon and Tinsley have the advantage of being in the Cougars locker room for the last three years and know exactly what it takes to run a Mike Leach offense, but the gap in talent and productivity is too large to ignore.
Gubrud Will Be the Guy
The bottom line is that Leach loves scoring points and if he has any intentions of leading the Pac-12 in offense for the second straight year, he’ll side with Gubrud. His EWU teams averaged over 40 points a games with him as the starter, which is exactly the type of output Washington State will need to be competitive in conference play this season.
SBD’s QB Battle Coverage
- Tate Martell -150 to Win Miami Starting QB Spot
- Bo Nix Now the Underdog to Start Week 1 for Auburn; Joey Gatewood Odds-on Favorite at -150
- Ben Hicks Way Ahead of Nick Starkel in Odds to Start for Razorbacks in Week 1
- Odds Say Spencer Sanders (-300) Has OK State Starting QB Job Locked Up
- Odds Indicate Jalen Hurts Has Won Oklahoma Starting Job, Even If Lincoln Riley Says Otherwise
- Mississippi State QB Battle a Tight Race between Tommy Stevens and Keytaon Thompson, according to oddsmakers
- Matt McKay Heavy -250 Favorite to Win NC State Starting QB Job for Week 1
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
