For the first time since 1964, the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Washington State Cougars will meet on Saturday night in only the third matchup between these schools.
Here are the latest college football betting odds, spread analysis, and a Texas Tech at Washington State prediction.
Texas Tech vs. Washington State Betting Preview
There is likely no greater connection between the two teams than former head coach Mike Leach, who turned both programs into not only consistent winners but offensive juggernauts. The late, great Leach enters the Washington State Hall of Fame this weekend, only a year removed from receiving that same honor at Texas Tech.
All Texas Tech vs. Washington State odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Sept. 7.
- Spread
Washington State -1 - Moneyline
Washington State -115, Texas Tech -105 - Over/Under
66.5 points - Game time
10 p.m. ET - Location
Gesa Field (WA), Pullman, Washington - Predicted Weather at Kick
81 degrees, 5 MPH winds, cooling after hot and hazy temperatures throughout the afternoon - How to Watch
FOX
In December 2022, Leach passed away from a heart attack at the age of 61.
Nicknamed “The Pirate,” he is the all-time winningest coach in Texas Tech history and ranks third in victories at Washington State. Of the 19 bowl games he went to as a head coach, 16 of them were with either the Red Raiders (10) or Cougars (6).
Leach’s lasting legacy is being the mastermind behind an NCAA record-setting air raid offense. It’s a scheme that incorporates a spread system with several receiving options for the quarterback on each dropback. Six times in his career, as either a coordinator or head coach, the quarterback of Leach’s offense led the FBS in passing yards for a single season.
His presence is still felt at both programs, especially at Washington State, where the Cougars ranked fourth in passing yards per game in 2023. The over has hit in eight of the Cougars’ last 13 games dating back to the start of last season.
Prediction for Texas Tech vs. Washington State
Washington State kicked off their 2024 season in dominating fashion, scoring 10 touchdowns in a 70-30 rout over Portland State.
Quarterback John Mateer was the star of the game, throwing for 352 yards and five touchdowns while also adding a 40-yard rushing score. His six total touchdowns set a program record for the most touchdowns responsible for in a player’s first career start. Mateer spread the ball around effectively, as 10 different Cougars caught passes in the game, with Kyle Williams leading the way with 141 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
While Texas Tech’s narrow win over an FCS opponent might not impress their fans, the Red Raiders did achieve a rare feat in Week 1. They were the only team in the country to feature a 300-yard passer (Behren Morton), a 150-yard rusher (Tahj Brooks), and a 150-yard receiver (Josh Kelly) in the same game.
Tahj Brooks continued his strong form from last season, rushing for 153 yards on 27 carries. His performance made him the first Red Raider to rush for 150+ yards in a season opener since Ricky Williams did so in 1998. With 3,205 career rushing yards, Brooks is now just 37 yards away from passing Taurean Henderson for sixth place on Texas Tech’s all-time rushing list.
Texas Tech proved they should have no issues scoring plenty of points this season as evidenced by its output last week (539 yards of total offense). However, the Red Raiders’ win total will be heavily dependent on cleaning up their defensive miscues, which was also evident considering they allowed Abilene Christian to gain 615 yards in that same game.
After a week of hearing about last week, Texas Tech will face a Washington State offense that put the rest of the country on notice thanks to 49 first-half points. In total, the Cougars gained 637 yards last week; that noise you hear is likely an excited Mateer, who is set to face a defense that gave up more than 500 yards passing last week.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
It would be too heartwarming of a story to see both offenses go back and forth, with Leach being honored this weekend and his fingerprints all over each program. We can only hope the scoreboard operator in Pullman is ready.
Prediction: Washington State 42, Texas Tech 38
College Football Network has you covered with the latest news and analysis, rankings, transfer portal information, top players, the 2024 college football season schedule, and much more!