LA Bowl Odds - Washington State vs. Fresno State
The Washington State Cougars take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in the LA Bowl on Saturday, December 17 on ABC. The Cougars come into this game at 7-5 SU and 8-4 ATS with three games going over the total and nine going under, while the Bulldogs are 9-4 SU and 6-7 ATS with seven games going over the total and six going under. The LA Bowl is an interesting matchup, as the Cougars have a stout defense that gave up just 22 points per game this season against a Fresno State offense that averaged almost 31 points per game. Will it be offense or defense that rules the day in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium on Saturday? The Bulldogs are listed as a slight favorite in LA Bowl odds.
2022 LA Bowl at a Glance
Date: Saturday, December 17, 2022
Time (ET) / TV: 3:30 PM / ABC
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Matchup: Washington State Cougars vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
College Football Betting Lines
Fresno State Bulldogs -3
Washington State Cougars +3
Total: 54
LA Bowl Preview
Washington State needed seven victories to earn a spot in their second consecutive bowl game. They defeated a bowl-eligible team at Wisconsin in one of their victories. Their losses were all to teams that qualified for the bowl. The Cougars' average point total of 27.8 places them 72nd in the nation. They rush for 112 yards per game while passing for 263.5 yards per game. Cameron Ward transferred in to play quarterback for the Cougars and this season he completed passes at a 64.1 percent clip while passing for 3,094 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. At least 200 receiving yards have been racked up by seven pass catchers this year. De'Zhaun Stribling, who has 602 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 51 receptions, has been the team's top receiver. Each of Robert Ferrel, Donovan Ollie, and Renard Bell had successful seasons with an average catch yardage of over 11 and more than 300 receiving yards. Two running backs have received the bulk of the work out of the backfield for Washington State. 736 yards and eight touchdowns belong to Nakia Watson. Jaylen Jenkins has a total of 396 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Ward has contributed by rushing for five touchdowns on 62 yards.
At 22.4 points allowed per game, their scoring defense is the 33rd-best in the country. They allow 266.7 passing yards and 127.4 running yards per game. With 106 total tackles, linebacker Daiyan Henley is the team's tackle leader. With five sacks, defensive end Brennan Jackson leads the club. With eight passes intercepted and two passes defended, defensive back Chau Smith-Wade has been outstanding in the secondary.
The Bulldogs qualified for their second consecutive bowl game by winning nine games and the Mountain West Championship. With 30.7 points scored per game, Fresno State is ranked 50th nationally. They rush for 125.4 yards per game while passing for 269.8 yards per contest. After a brief stint in the transfer portal, Jake Haener made the decision to stay at Fresno State for another season. Despite missing some time due to injury, he completed his passes on 72.6 percent of the time for 2,616 yards, 18 touchdowns, and three interceptions. This season, five receivers have at least 200 yards. Jalen Moreno-Cropper, who concluded the year with 80 receptions for 1,051 yards and five touchdowns, is the best of the group. Having recorded 69 receptions for 768 yards and five touchdowns, Nikko Remigio has also performed admirably. Jordan Mims is the Bulldogs' point man out of the backfield. This season, Mims has ran for 1,161 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has been supported by Malik Sherrod, who has 404 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense tied for 25th with just 20.4 points allowed per game. They give up 193.3 passing yards and 157.6 running yards per game. Levelle Bailey, a linebacker, leads the club in tackles with 82. With 10.5 sacks, defensive end David Perales has put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Cam Lockridge, a defensive back, has produced with five interceptions and nine passes broken up.
LA Bowl Prediction
In a matchup that looks to be very even, the points could be worth taking, as this game figures to be decided late in the fourth quarter.
LA Bowl Format
SoFi Stadium is a new state-of-the-art venue in suburban Los Angeles. It is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL. SoFi Stadium is looking for additional bookings beyond its two NFL tenants as a sparkling new host. Additionally, LA serves as a tourist magnet, especially in December when much of the United States turns cold. All of this made for the ingredients of a new bowl game. The Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl is the result of such opportunism.
The LA Bowl has tie-ins with the Pac 12 and Mountain West Conferences.
LA Bowl Past Results
| SEASON |
WINNING TEAM |
LOSING TEAM |
SCORE |
| 2021 |
Utah State |
Oregon State |
24-13 |
The first LA Bowl was won by Utah State, as they got past Oregon State.
Most All-Time Wins
| WINS |
TEAM |
YEARS WON |
| 1 |
Utah State |
2021 |
Utah State won the first LA Bowl in 2021 as they defeated Oregon State.
2022-23 College Football Bowl Games
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