Washington State will try to knock off a ranked team for the first time this season and end on a high note when the Cougars take on the 24th-ranked Air Force Falcons in the 2019 Cheez-It Bowl on Friday. Washington State boasts the nation's top passing offense and scores 39.2 points per game, but a promising season quickly derailed as it moved into Pac-12 competition. The Cougars rose as high as No. 19 in the country after starting 3-0, but they are now 6-6 after losing five of their first six conference games. Kickoff is set for 10:15 p.m. ET at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The Falcons are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Air Force vs. Washington State odds, while the over-under has shot up to 71.5 after opening at 67. Before making any Washington State vs. Air Force picks of your own, be sure to check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $4,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also went a sizzling 8-2 on all picks against the spread during Championship Week. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns. 

Now, it has set its sights on Air Force vs. Washington State. We can tell you it's leaning under, and it's also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 60 percent of simulations. You need to head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are the betting lines and trends for Air Force vs. Washington State:

  • Air Force vs. Washington State spread: Falcons -2.5
  • Air Force vs. Washington State over-under: 71.5
  • Air Force vs. Washington State money line: Falcons -136, Cougars +114
  • AF: QB Donald Hammond has 448 yards passing and five TDs over the past two games.
  • WSU: QB Anthony Gordon has topped 400 passing yards eight times this season.

The model knows the Falcons are 13-4 against the spread in non-conference games since 2016, and Hammond runs the triple-option efficiently. The junior has rushed for 491 yards and 11 touchdowns and averages 13 yards per completion. Benjamin Waters (32.3 yards per catch) and Geraud Sanders (25.4) both have seven receiving touchdowns. Kadin Remsberg (872 yards), Timothy Jackson (745) and Taven Birdow (731) lead the run game. 

Air Force has gone 5-2 against the spread in bowl games since 2008 and the defense will need to step up. Linebackers Demonte Meeks (97 tackles) and Kyle Johnson (76) anchor the unit. Defensive end Jordan Jackson has 3.5 sacks, and safety Jeremy Fejedelem has 1.5 to go with two interceptions. Cornerback Zane Lewis has broken up 14 passes and his only interception of the season was returned for a 99-yard touchdown.

The Falcons are in the midst of a strong run, but that doesn't mean they will cover the Air Force vs. Washington State spread in the Cheez-It Bowl 2019. 

Anthony Gordon has picked up where Gardner Minshew left off for the Cougars, who are 9-6 against the spread as underdogs since 2016. The junior has completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 5,228 yards as the offense has put up 444.3 passing yards per game (58.5 more than LSU). Max Borghi gives the team balance, averaging 6.5 yards per carry for 790 yards. Easop Winston leads the receivers in yards (927) and touchdowns (11).

The Cougars average 5.5 tackles per loss a game, and that attacking style will help disrupt Air Force's option. Tackles Will Rodgers and Lamonte McDougle and ends Nnamdi Oguayo and Karson Block will do the disrupting, while linebacker Jahad Woods will clean up. Woods is 10th in FBS with 121 tackles and has three sacks, and fellow linebacker Justus Rogers has 64 tackles and two takedowns. Safety Skyler Thomas has three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.    

So who wins Air Force vs. Washington State in the Cheez-It Bowl 2019? And which side of the spread is hitting over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Air Force vs. Washington State spread to back on Friday, all from the advanced model that has returned almost $4,000 on its top-rated college football picks.