Gone. Finito. Kaput. The Washington Huskies’ hopes of making it to the College Football Playoff are up in smoke after losing to Oregon in overtime last week. Coupled with a loss to a freefalling Auburn back in the first week of the season, the most the Huskies can hope for at this point is a Pac-12 North title and a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game in Santa Clara later this year. They need to win out to feel good about their chances of getting there, and that means they must bounce back and get a win at home against the Colorado Buffaloes this week.
This contest in Week 8 will go down Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Colorado +17
Washington -17
Total Check Back Later
Odds Analysis
The spread in this one has not moved an inch from where it opened on Sunday evening. Oddsmakers are giving Washington a lot of respect by making the Huskies a 17-point favorite, even though their biggest win in four conference games this year was by 14 points. The total for this game will be released on Monday evening.
Keep an eye on the injury report in this one. Both Colorado and Washington had multiple key players get banged up in their games last week, and quite a few players are listed as questionable for this game. Wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and Jay MacIntyre and running back Travon McMillian are doubts for Colorado in this one, while Washington might not have running backs Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, as well as a number of starters on defense.
Player to Watch
Jake Browning has had eyes for Aaron Fuller this season. With Dante Pettis now in the NFL, Washington needed a new No. 1 receiver to emerge, and it’s clear that Browning trusts Fuller more than anyone else. He has 37 catches for 589 yards on the season, and he has double the receptions of anyone else on the roster.
Oregon knew that Browning looked his way often and strategized a plan to keep the ball out of his hands. Fuller had four 100-yard receiving games prior to Saturday’s game, yet he only tallied two catches for 15 yards against the Ducks. The Ducks mixed up their coverages and confused Browning to the point where he only threw three passes Fuller’s way all game long.
Colorado is likely to take a long look at the film from that game and come up with something similar on defense.
Matchup to Watch
Steven Montez has not had much luck getting the better of Washington’s defense in two prior meetings. He has yet to throw for a touchdown against the Huskies’ defense and his cumulative stats aren’t good. Montez has completed two-thirds of his passes, but he is averaging just 5.9 yards per throw and has tossed three interceptions in those games.
It’s likely to be tough sledding for Montez in this game too. Washington has one of the best defenses in the country. The Huskies are ranked ninth in total defense according to S&P+, and they have made life tough on opposing quarterbacks. For Colorado to pull off the upset, Montez needs to forget about those prior performances and hit some big plays against this secondary.
Live Betting Preview
Once again, check the injury report before plunking down any serious coin on this one. Both teams might be without their most dynamic playmakers, and that would seriously impact either offense.
Assuming everything is even in this one, I like Colorado to get the cover. The Huskies aren’t built to blow teams out, and the Buffs have a defense that can get some stops. It’s hard to see them getting the win, but they should keep it within two scores.
College Football Odds: Washington 27, Colorado 17
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