The Washington State Cougars take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Check out our college football odds series for our Washington State Wisconsin prediction and pick.

The Washington State Cougars narrowly escaped against the Idaho Vandals in Week 1 of the new college football season. The result has to send shockwaves of anxiety through the WSU fan base, and it has to be a very concerning development for coach Jake Dickert, who is in his first full season as Cougar head coach after serving as interim coach last year following the exit of Nick Rolovich. The big hope in Pullman this year was that transfer quarterback Cameron Ward would arrive from Immaculate Word and give the Cougars' offense a lot of upside. Ward was statistically prolific at Incarnate Word. If he can translate his eye-popping numbers to Wazzu, the Cougars have a chance to be a contender in the Pac-12. They're not expected to make the Pac-12 Championship Game this season, but Ward could be a game-changer for them.

The opener against Idaho offered no such indication. Ward struggled, and the offense failed to bust loose against a weaker opponent. The Cougars and Dickert have to hope it was a sluggish opener which will lead to rapid learning, growth and development for all the players in that offense.

Wisconsin beat Illinois State without any problems, but the Badger offense did not run wild except for a 96-yard touchdown run from star running back Braelon Allen. Wisconsin scored 14 points on two plays of 96 yards or more: the Allen run, and a 100-yard pick-six. Most of the game featured a modest level of production from the Wisconsin offense, which scored just 24 points on the plays other than the two home-run touchdowns. Jake Dickert of Washington State is a good defensive coach, raising concerns about how consistently the Badgers can move the ball against the Cougars in Week 2.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Washington State-Wisconsin College Football odds.

College Football Odds: Washington State-Wisconsin Odds

Washington State Cougars: +17.5 (-115)

Wisconsin Badgers: -17.5 (-105)

Over: 49.5 (-108)

Under: 49.5 (-112)

Why Washington State Could Cover the Spread

It's pretty simple: Washington State can contain Wisconsin's offense. We need to see Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz play well against good teams, something he hasn't consistently done as a Badger. This is a huge prove-it season for Mertz, and until he shows he has significantly improved, it makes sense to doubt him, especially against a quality defensive tactitian such as Jake Dickert.

The other point to make is that Cameron Ward looked like a quarterback against Idaho who was getting used to playing with new teammates. If we assume that Washington State's offense will steadily improve over the course of the season, and that the Idaho game will be WSU's worst game all year, the Cougars will be better on offense in this game. If they are better on offense, they should score at least 17 points, which will definitely be enough to cover the large spread.

Why Wisconsin Could Cover the Spread

The Badgers allowed no points in Week 1. Yes, Illinois State was a creampuff opponent, but still: Wisconsin's defense made zero significant mistakes. If Washington State's offense is a lot worse than many people thought — as suggested by the Idaho game — the Badgers can hold WSU under 14 points, which means they could score 31 and cover the spread. Graham Mertz threw only two incomplete passes in the opener against Illinois State. If he is sharp and the defense is locked in, Wisconsin will win this game by a huge margin.

Final Washington State-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick

It is too early to trust Graham Mertz. Even though Wisconsin's defense should do well against WSU's offense, the Badger offense won't score enough to cover. Wisconsin 27, Washington State 10.

Final Washington State-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick: Washington State +17.5