The Washington Huskies split their two-game road swing and now they look to remain undefeated at home as they welcome the Colorado Buffaloes to Husky Stadium. Washington has won each of the last eight meetings against Colorado and opened as a 15.5-point favorite in this week’s matchup. The two schools have had an average combined score of 53.2 over their last five meetings and this game's total opened at 51.5 points.
- Colorado is 0-8 SU and ATS in its last eight games vs Washington (avg. losing margin: 24.75).
- Washington is 11-0 SU in its last 11 games at home.
- The total has gone UNDER in seven of Colorado’s last eight games.
Colorado vs Washington Game Center
Washington looks to stay perfect at home
Washington looks to rebound from its second loss of the season as it was edged out 30-27 on the road in Eugene against Oregon in Week 7. Those 30 points that the Ducks put up were the most against the Huskies this season, as they rank in a tie for 10th in the nation allowing an average of just 16 points per game. At home this season, Washington is a perfect 3-0, outscoring opponents 107-30, including an impressive 35-7 win over then-No. 20 BYU in Week 5. The Huskies’ only other loss on the season came in Week 1 against then-No. 9 Auburn in a 21-16 defeat.
Defense has been the key to the Huskies’ success this season, especially their secondary. Washington has allowed just 16 points per game through the first seven weeks of the season and it surrenders just 178.6 passing yards per game, the 15th-fewest in the nation. The Huskies are led by senior linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven, who has racked up 93 combined tackles, which ranks the best in college football, and four forced fumbles, tied for second in the nation. Jake Browning is the man under center for Washington and he has thrown for 1,751 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. His passing yards rank 20th in the nation.
How will Colorado bounce back from first loss of the season?
Colorado is off to its best start since 1998, rattling off five straight wins to open the season, but had that streak ended in Week 7 when it was topped 31-20 by USC at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That defeat came in the Buffaloes’ second road game of the season; their first away game came against Nebraska, and Colorado won that game 33-28. Colorado was ranked No. 19 heading into last week’s game against USC but has fallen out of the AP Top 25 following that loss.
The Buffaloes are strong on both sides of the ball, scoring an average of 34.8 points per game, which ranks in a tie for 34th-most in the NCAA, while surrendering an average of 20.5 points per game, tied for 30th-fewest in the nation. Offensively, junior quarterback Steven Montez has found a strong connection with sophomore wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. Montez has thrown for 1,590 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions, while Shenault has grabbed 60 passes for 780 yards and six touchdowns. His 780 receiving yards are the third-most in the nation.
UNDER trending between Washington and Colorado
There have been strong indicators pointing toward an UNDER between Washington and Colorado and Sportsbook has this week's total Sportsbook at 51.5 points. Six of Washington’s last seven games have gone UNDER with an average combined score of 44.86, while seven of Colorado’s last eight games have gone UNDER with an average combined score of 55.13. Meanwhile, the last two meetings between these two schools have gone UNDER. Lastly, both Washington and Colorado rank in the top 30 in the nation for fewest points allowed per game with the Huskies giving up just 16 ppg and the Buffaloes surrendering only 20.5 ppg.
My take on the Buffaloes and Huskies
I like the Huskies to cover the 15.5-point spread on Saturday. The Buffaloes are 0-8 SU and ATS in their last eight meetings with the Huskies with an average losing margin of 24.75, losing by 16 points or more in five of those eight games. Additionally, Washington is 11-0 SU in its last 11 home games with an average winning margin of 28, with only two games being decided by fewer than 21 points. Lastly, Colorado is 2-4 SU and 1-5 ATS in its last six road games with an average losing margin of 17.75.
