Washington State vs Fresno State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for LA Bowl 2022 (Bulldogs Stay Perfect in La La Land)

Washington State vs Fresno State Game Info

2022 NCAA College Football Game — Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Presented by Stifel
Washington State Cougars (7-5) vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (9-4)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, CA
Coverage: ABC

The 2022 NCAA college football bowl game matchups have been revealed, including the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. This year's event will be played between the Washington State Cougars and Fresno State Bulldogs.

Washington State enters the LA Bowl following a 51-33 loss to ranked Washington to close out the regular season. On the other hand, Fresno State hasn't tasted defeat in a long time, tallying its eighth straight win with a 28-16 effort over Boise State on Saturday to win the MWC Championship.

Can Washington State end its campaign on a high note with an LA Bowl victory? Or will the momentum wave from Fresno State's conference championship lead the Bulldogs to another win?

Washington State vs Fresno State Odds & Spread

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: WSU: (-111) | FRES: (+108)
Spread: WSU: -1.5 (-110) | FRES: +1.5 (-110)
Total: 53.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Washington State enters this contest as a slight favorite on the spread and moneyline. This LA Bowl clash also features a total of 53.5, which is average compared to this year's bowl games. 

Washington State vs Fresno State Prediction & Pick

Even though Fresno State has lost four of its last five games against Pac-12 competition, I like the team's chances of winning the LA Bowl. For starters, the Bulldogs' defense has looked great throughout their eight-game winning streak, holding opponents to 16 or fewer points in six of those matchups.

Fresno State QB Jake Haener has played a big role in his team averaging the 36th-most passing yards (260.4) in the nation. Now, Haener and his weapons get to face a Washington State defense allowing 21.9 completions (No. 108) and 271.7 passing yards (No. 110) per game.

The Cougars typically rely on their own passing game to get the job done, but succeeding through the air won't be easy. The Bulldogs allow the 17th-fewest passing yards (191.2) and will throw the opposition off their game as long as the coverage remains strong.

Back Fresno State to pull off a bit of an upset here.

Final Score Prediction: Fresno State: 30 | Washington State: 25

Washington State vs Fresno State Betting Trends

- Washington State is 1-6 against the spread (ATS) in its last seven games played in December.
- Fresno State is 14-5-1 ATS in its last 20 games as the underdog.
- The total has hit the under in five of Washington State's last six games against the MWC.
- The total has hit the over in five of Fresno State's last seven games.

Washington State vs Fresno State Best Bet

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Momentum is on Fresno State's side and I don't think that head coach Jeff Tedford will let his players fail to seize a bowl win. The veteran head coach is 2-0 in bowl games behind the Bulldogs' bench and 7-3 overall. Considering how Washington State is licking its chops following last week's blowout loss, it's clear that this is Fresno State's game to lose.

Take the Bulldogs on the moneyline to get the best value here.

Bet: Fresno State ML (+105)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.