Key Factors Supporting This Pick:

• FCS vs FBS Mismatch: Washington State is a Power 5 team facing an FCS opponent with significant talent disparity
• Limited Data Available: No advanced stats or Elo rating available for Idaho makes accurate projection impossible
• Major Roster Turnover: Washington State returns only 24.9% of production, creating uncertainty in early season performance

Risk Factors to Consider:

• Massive roster turnover for Washington State
• Week 1 unpredictability
• FCS opponent motivation
• Limited statistical data for proper analysis

Technical Analysis:

Insufficient data to make accurate projections - no FCS advanced metrics available for Idaho, and Washington State's 24.9% returning production creates too much uncertainty for week 1 analysis. Large talent gap makes this difficult to handicap precisely.

Why This Pick Makes Sense:

This matchup between Washington State and Idaho presents too many unknowns to make a confident bet, even though the Cougars should win easily. Washington State lost a huge amount of their production from last season, returning less than 25% of their offensive output, which means they're essentially fielding a completely new team in week one. While the 17-point spread seems reasonable for a Power 5 team hosting an FCS opponent, we simply don't have enough information about how either team will perform to find real value. Idaho as an FCS school doesn't have the advanced metrics we need to properly evaluate this game, and week one matchups are notoriously unpredictable anyway. The smart move here is to wait for more data from both teams before placing any bets on Washington State games.