Colorado State Rams vs. Wyoming Cowboys NCAA Football Free Pick

The Wyoming Cowboys (+3) are set to pay a visit to their MWC foe Colorado State Rams (-3) at Canvas Stadium. This showdown will kick off fairly late for those on the East Coast (10:00 p.m. ET) and fans can catch the action by tuning in to CBS Sports Network.

Betting Preview: Colorado State Rams vs. Wyoming Cowboys

The Cowboys come into this Friday MWC matchup as the dog here and they’re currently being given 3 points. The Cowboys are also receiving +120 moneyline odds while the Rams are -140. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 48 points, and if one side can create a bunch of points early, it will likely generate a worthwhile in-game betting scenario.

This game’s opening line was -2. The total hasn’t moved since it was initially posted at 48.

The Cowboys are 2-6 against the spread (ATS) and have lost 4.8 units so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 3-4.

The Rams have been a disappointment to moneyline bettors this season, losing 9.8 units. The team is 3-5 ATS and has an O/U record of 3-5.

The Cowboys are 2-6 straight up (SU), including 0-4 SU against MWC opponents. The Rams are 3-5 SU overall and 2-2 SU in conference play.

The Cowboys are most-recently on the rebound after a 24-16 loss to Utah State last week. The passing attack left much to be desired as the Cowboys completed 10-of-24 passes for 100 yards and one interception. Tyler Vander Waal went seven-for-19 for 38 yards and one interception while Sean Chambers completed three-of-five for 62 yards. Nico Evans (133 rushing yards on 25 attempts, one TD) and Sean Chambers (100 yards on 19 carries) mounted the ground attack in the loss while James Price (three receptions, 22 yards) and Austin Conway (two catches, 14 yards) shared the receiving duties.

One week ago, Boise State got the win against this Colorado State team by a score of 56-28. The Rams defensive unit allowed the Broncos to pass for 322 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 150 yards and two scores. A.J. Richardson had a productive outing in the win, recording 137 yards and two touchdowns on six catches for Boise State. As a group, the Rams collectively completed 31-of-44 passes for 373 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. K.J. Carta-Samuels went 19-for-30 for 238 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while Collin Hill was 12-of-14 for 135 yards and one touchdown. Izzy Matthews (109 rushing yards on 12 attempts, one TD) spearheaded the ground game in the defeat while Preston Williams (nine receptions, 154 yards, one TD) and Warren Jackson (nine catches, 105 yards, two TDs) led the pass-catching attack.

Wyoming’s run the ball on 57.9 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Colorado State has a rush percentage of 44.5 percent. The Cowboys have produced 150.1 rush yards/game (including 143.3 per game against Mountain West opponents) and have eight scores via handoffs this year. The Rams are logging 113.8 rush yards per game (140.8 in conference) and have four total rushing TDs.

If 2018 results can translate to this game, then the Cowboys ought to own the advantage when it comes to efficiency in the ground game. Their running backs has produced 4.1 yards per carry while their defense is allowing 3.7 YPC to opponents. The Rams have ran for 3.4 yards per carry and allowed 5.2 YPC to opponents.

The Cowboys offense has logged 138.3 yards/contest in the air overall (129.5 per game versus conference opposition) and has three passing TDs so far. The Rams have recorded 307.5 pass yards per game (348 against MWC foes) and have 20 total pass scores.

Defensively, Wyoming appears to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed 131.5 rush yards and 220.9 pass yards per game. The Colorado State defense has given up 251.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 197.1 yards per game on the ground. The Cowboys are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.92 to opponents, while the Rams have given up an ugly 9.03 ANY/A.

Carta-Samuels has been more productive than Vander Waal recently. His adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 6.66 for the year and 6.22 over his last two outings while Vander Waal’s ANY/A is 3.55 and 1.06 over his last two.

These two teams faced off a year ago with the final outcome being a 16-13 win for Wyoming.

Wyoming Cowboys at Colorado State Rams NCAA Prediction

SU Winner: Colorado State, ATS Winner: Colorado State, O/U: Over

Betting Notes

The Colorado State defensive unit has sacked opposing QBs 14 times this year. Wyoming has registered 12 sacks.

The Colorado State offense has lost five fumbles this season while Wyoming has lost three.

The Cowboys offense has registered four pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Rams have put up six such plays.

The Wyoming defense has allowed two pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Colorado State has given up 11 such plays.

The Wyoming offense has created nine rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Colorado State has created six such runs.

The Cowboys defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Rams have given up 11 such runs.

The O/U for Colorado State’s previous outing was 61.5. The over cashed in the team’s 56-28 defeat to Boise State.

Over its last three matches, Colorado State is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.

In its last three matchups, Wyoming is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in each of those three.

Wyoming has lost seven of its last eight games SU, with a three-point win over Wofford on September 15th representing the only victory over that stretch.

The O/U for Wyoming’s last game going into it was 50.5. The under cashed in the team’s 24-16 loss to Utah State.

Wyoming, as a team, has averaged 4.3 yards per rush attempt across its past three outings and 4.2 over its last two.

Colorado State has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 3.5 over its past two.