The Colorado Buffaloes will face the Washington State Cougars on Friday at the T-Mobile Arena for the Pac-12 Semifinals. We're here to share our college odds series, make a Colorado-Washington State prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Buffaloes defeated the Utah Utes 72-58 on Thursday at the T-Mobile Arena. They jumped out to a 72-58 halftime lead and then managed to pull away in the second half. KJ Simpson led the way with 18 points while shooting 7 for 16. Meanwhile, Eddie Lampkin Jr. added 17 points while shooting 8 for 14 from the floor. Tristan Da Silva had 14 points while shooting 5 for 11.
Colorado shot 44.4 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from the triples. They also held Utah to 32.8 percent from the floor, including 26.7 percent from the three-point line. The Buffaloes also won the board battle 43-33. They persevered despite having just two steals and one blocked shot.
The Cougars defeated the Stanford Cardinal 79-62 on Thursday in Sin City. They jumped out to a 45-29 halftime lead. Eventually, they managed to maintain the lead and soar to victory. Isaac Jones led the way with 16 points while shooting 7 for 12 from the floor. Meanwhile, Myles Rice had 14 points while shooting 6 for 13 from the hardwood. Jaylen Wells had 14 points while shooting 5 for 12 from the floor. Likewise, Andrej Jakimovski had 13 points while going 4 for 9 from the field. They actually got some production off the bench from Kymany Houinsou and Rueben Chinyelu. Houinsou had 11 points while shooting 5 for 7, while Chinyelu made all four of his shots to finish with 10.
Washington State shot 50.8 percent from the field, including 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. Conversely, they also held Stanford to 46.3 percent from the floor, including 28.6 percent from the triples. It also helped that they won the board battle 33-23 and forced 11 turnovers.
The teams split the season series. First, Colorado defeated Washington State 74-67 at home. The Cougars returned the favor when they were at home by knocking them off 78-69.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Colorado-Washington State Odds
Colorado: -2.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -130
Washington State: +2.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +108
Over: 138.5 (-110)
Under: 138.5 (-110)
How to Watch Colorado vs. Washington State
Time: 10:35 PM ET/7:35 PM PT
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Colorado Will Cover The Spread/Win
Colorado will have a chance to take down Washington State because they have four key players that can make an impact. Furthermore, they all have a good chance to stun the world.
Simpson will be the first guy to watch. He did well last night against the Utes. Likewise, he was at his best in his last showdown with Washington State when he went off for 25 points while shooting 7 for 11. Da Silva was solid last night. He also had a good night against the Cougars in his last battle, scoring 16 points while shooting 6 for 15 from the floor. Lampkin hopes to replicate what he did last night. Additionally, he would love to replicate what he did against Washington State in their last game, when he had 10 points while shooting 4 for 6.
But the fourth man in this equation did not do well last night. Despite finishing the season with 12.3 points per game, J'Vonne Hadley only scored five points last night while going a miserable 1 for 7 from the floor. He also did not have a good outing in his last faceoff with Washington State, finishing with a measly two points while shooting 1 for 6.
The team needs to shoot better this time around. Yesterday, Colorado shot over 43 percent, hitting more than 50 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc. That was not the case in its last encounter with Washington State when the team shot just 38.6 percent from the field. Compare this to the win over Washington State on Christmas Eve, when Colorado hit 50 percent of its shots, including 44.4 percent from the triples.
Colorado also lost the board battle by a large margin. Conversely, the Buffaloes matched the Cougars on the boards when they won. The final result was starkly different in both games.
Colorado will cover the spread if they can shoot efficiiently, opting for better shots. Then, they need to box out.
Why Washington State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Washington State always seems to be just getting by. But getting to play Stanford in the Pac-12 Quarterfinals seemed to be a boom for them, and they beat Stanford handily. Now, they hope their best players can rise to the occasion again.
Rice had a good night last night. He also had a good night against Colorado in their last encounter, notching 17 points while shooting 7 for 13 from the floor. Wells produced last night. Likewise, he tallied 17 points against the Buffaloes. Jones found his hit hand last night. Additionally, he was one of the main contributors in the win over Colorado, finishing with 13 points.
Jakimovski played well last night. However, his shooting was porous in the win against the Buffaloes, as he went just 3 for 11 from the field while still finishing with 11 points. Expect a better performance from him.
Colorado will cover the spread if their shooters can continue to find good shots and gain separation. Then, they need to clamp down on defense and stop Simpson and Da Silva.
Final Colorado-Washington State Prediction & Pick
When these teams faced off this season, Washington State won by nine points at home but also lost in Colorado. That goes into consideration. Ultimately, this feels like it will go down to the wire. Washington State is good enough to destroy a team like Stanford, but they will have their hands full against Colorado. Expect some drama in this one. Also, expect the unexpected to happen. A wonderful season for Washington State comes crashing down when they encounter a good team like Colorado.
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Final Colorado-Washington State Prediction & Pick: Colorado: -2.5 (-102)
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