The Washington Huskies got knocked out of the College Football Playoff race last week. All year long, they’ve been asking to play in prime time in front of a national audience. In the times that they’ve got their wish, they’ve proven to be a disaster. Last week, they had no answer for Bryce Love and the Stanford running game and now they’re in trouble in terms of being able to even win the Pac-12 North Division. They could be depressed and discouraged as they take the field this weekend, so their main challenge against the Utah Utes will be to focus on the task at hand and not allow one bad week to bleed into the next one. The Utes have been spiraling down the drain ever since they beat Arizona. They have lost five of six and figure to have a tough time in this one.
Details
Odds: Huskies -17.5
Date & Time: Saturday, November 18, 10:30 PM ET
Location: Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA
Broadcast: ESPN
Reasons To Bet On The Utah Utes
The best reason to bet on the Utes is that their opponent is in the doldrums. Washington’s offense committed several crucial mistakes last week in a loss to Stanford. The Huskies committed a false start on third down and 1 to stop a promising drive deep in Stanford territory. Myles Gaskin had fumbled only once in his career at Washington, but he fumbled a second time in the fourth quarter to give Stanford the decisive points in the game. Washington scored touchdowns on each of its first two drives but did not score again until late in the game. The offense has been very inconsistent throughout the season, hurt in part by a lot of injuries to the wide receivers. Quarterback Jake Browning has not been able to find open secondary receivers, and opposing defenses are easily able to focus on top receiver Dante Pettis, forcing Washington to find other solutions in the passing game. Utah is not a good offensive team, but the Utes have always been a solid defensive team. If they can force a few turnovers and get points from short fields or from returns for touchdowns, they can frustrate Washington and force the Huskies to perform at a high level on offense, something which is far from guaranteed.
Reasons To Bet On The Washington Huskies
The Huskies are injured and struggling, but they are going up against an opponent which just committed seven turnovers the week before against Washington State. Utah threw four interceptions and committed three fumbles. The Utes outgained Washington State but self-destructed on a continuous basis. This is not the reliable, steady kind of offense which can take advantage of the injuries in the Washington secondary. Washington’s front seven is extremely strong and capable, so it is hard to see how Utah will generate the running game needed to keep the Huskies off balance. The matchup is very much aligned with Washington’s strengths, away from the Huskies’ foremost weaknesses.
Outlook
The Washington Huskies opened up at -17.5 and they are currently back to that number, but the line has shifted a bit. It has gone down to -17 and come back a few times before settling down. As far as the total goes, the action has been much clearer. The under has been the play as the line opened up at 49 but has now gone down to 46.5.
The Huskies will win comfortably, but their offense merits at least some concern. It is true that Washington’s offensive limitations have emerged on the road this year, but the Huskies generally get their offense straightened out at home. They might start slowly, but they eventually get going and post a total over 30 points. A good passing team would be a terrible matchup for Washington’s banged-up secondary, but Utah is not that team now, and has not been that kind of team all season long. Washington should be able to pull away in the third quarter and win comfortably enough to cover.
Prediction: Huskies -17.5
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