Bradley vs Washington State prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball

It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Bradley Washington State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Bradley Washington State.

This will be a fascinating college basketball season for the Washington State Cougars. They will transition from the Pac-12 to the West Coast Conference when they get into league play, but more than that, they have a new head coach who will try to continue to do what his predecessor established.

Kyle Smith was a terrific head coach for Washington State. Smith was able to lead the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament last season, the first time Wazzu has made the Big Dance since 2008. It was just the seventh time in WSU history that the Cougars made March Madness. This was Washington State's third NCAA appearance since 1994. NCAA bids just don't emerge very often in Pullman, an out-of-the-way location in a state which is dominated by Gonzaga. It is hard to win consistently at Washington State, but Kyle Smith was able to break through and give the program fresh success.

Smith left for Stanford, in part so that Stanford's world-class medical center could give the best treatment to his son, who has autism. Smith wasn't climbing the coaching ladder so much as he was taking a job which would mean a lot for his family. It's the rare instance in which family considerations really are part of a coach's job decision. Unfortunately for Washington State, the program lost a gifted leader. Now, David Riley — formerly the coach at nearby Eastern Washington — takes over for Smith and has some very big shoes to fill.

This game against Bradley, as you can see below, is pegged very close to a true pick 'em game. It's a battle between two teams which are perceived to be very evenly matched. We will see if the game turns out to be as close as Las Vegas expects. We will also see if Bradley, a prime contender in the Missouri Valley Conference, can establish itself as the league favorite in the nonconference part of the season. This is a highly intriguing clash which should reveal a lot about these two sides.

Here are the Bradley-Washington State College Basketball Odds , courtesy of FanDuel

College Basketball Odds: Bradley-Washington State Odds

Bradley: -1.5 (-104)

Moneyline: -111

Washington State: +1.5 (-118)

Moneyline: -108

Over: 152.5 (-114)

Under: 152.5 (-106)

How to Watch Bradley vs Washington State

Time: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT

TV: ESPN Plus

Stream: fuboTV ( Free Trial )

Why Bradley Will Cover The Spread/Win

Bradley is a better team, based primarily on the fact that Washington State has lost key pieces from its NCAA Tournament roster last season. Washington State has to reassemble a new roster with a lot of pieces whose level of compatability is hard to pin down. Bradley seems like the team in this matchup which is likely to be more cohesive and functional in an early-season game. Also, Washington State allowed 92 points to Portland State in its season opener. That lack of defense has to be concerning for the Cougars.

Why Washington State Will Cover The Spread/Win

Washington State might have allowed 92 in its opener versus Portland State, but the Cougars scored 100. Even though the caliber of opponent was not elite or even above-average, it remains impressive that a college basketball team played that well on offense in its first game out of the gate. If WSU sustains that level of offensive quality, it will win.