Washington State vs. North Texas Prediction and Picks - Saturday, September 13
The Cougars and Mean Green put their perfect records on the line this Saturday in Week 3 of the college football season. You can get the inside line on this game with our Washington State Cougars vs. North Texas Mean Green prediction and picks. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30pm CT (4:30pm ET) at the Mean Green's Apogee Stadium in Denton, TX.
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Cougars on a high
Washington State (2-0) began the year with back-to-back wins in Pullman, a solid start for a revamped coaching staff led by first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers. The Cougars had to shake off some rust in Week 1 as they almost let FCS Idaho back in before a last-gasp field goal sealed victory, but looked much better in taking down San Diego State 36-13 in a crushing home win.
Quarterback Jaxon Potter threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns on 28 completions while the Washington State defense suffocated the Aztecs, holding them to 215 total yards in a vast improvement over Week 1. The Cougars remain in the shrunken Pac-12 Conference this season alongside Oregon State, who beat them in 2024's sole conference game, a 41-38 thriller, to take the title.
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Mean Green avoid shock
North Texas (2-0) had to scramble to avoid a big upset in Week 2. The Mean Green trailed Western Michigan by 10 points at halftime, having been pegged as a 12-point favorite, but came back to tie with less than two minutes on the clock via Kali Nguma's second field goal of the game. Makenzie McGill then got over the line with a six-yard rush in overtime to clinch a 33-30 win that nevertheless left a few doubts around Denton after beginning the year with a 51-0 blowout against FCS program Lamar.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker showed out on offense against Western Michigan with 224 aerial yards and two touchdowns, while North Texas restricted its opponent to 87 passing yards and just seven completions. The Mean Green converted 6-of-14 attempts on third downs, while they were also hampered by penalty calls and lost 81 yards on nine infractions. The offense has been pass-heavy so far in 2025, averaging 276.5 yards through the air compared to 135.0 through the running game in its two outings so far.
Washington State vs. North Texas pick
Spread Pick for Washington State vs. North Texas
- Washington State +6 (5 units)
While North Texas is a stiffer challenge, I like this Cougars defense a lot and am backing the visiting team to ride that strength in the backfield and cover on Saturday. Washington State completed three sacks and seven tackles for loss against the Aztecs, who averaged just 4.4 yards per pass and 10 first downs in the game. And after teething troubles against Idaho, Potter and Washington State looked much more comfortable with new offensive coordinator Danny Freund's ROP-focused strategy. The Mean Green were made to sweat last time and a similar outcome could be on the cards Saturday. North Texas went 4-8 ATS in 2024 and 2-4 at home.
Take the Cougars.
Over/Under Pick for Washington State vs. North Texas
- Under 58.5 (5 units)
The under looks the smart choice here, given the Cougars' mean defense. Washington State has averaged 11.5 points allowed per game in its two outings so far, while its offense will face its toughest test yet for a relatively new system. The Cougars converted 5-18 third-down attempts against San Diego State, a weakness that will be exploited by a more solid defense. North Texas has also been strong without the ball, holding opponents to 81.0 passing yards per game and 105.5 yards per game on the ground.
Take the under.
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