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• No. 4 Washington vs. Washington State
• Saturday, Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. ET
• Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington
In the Pacific Northwest, there’s arguably no better football rivalry than the one between the UW Huskies and Washington State Cougars. With this being the last year of the Pac-12 too, there’s plenty of intrigue for their showdown that’s on the way later this week. As you might have been able to guess, No. 5 Washington is a massive favorite over WSU in the 2023 Apple Cup. So, which side will come out on top?
The Huskies are riding high right now, as they were able to post a heart-stopping 22-20 win over the No. 11 Oregon State Beavers over the weekend. That game was in Corvallis and while the Beavers were able to make things interesting late, Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze were able to power the Seattle school to a thrilling victory. Now, the Huskies are just one win away from posting a perfect record during the regular season.
| WSU vs. UW odds |  |  |  |
| UW to win | -250 | -250 | -250 |
| WSU to win | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Over 49.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 49.5 points | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“What a game,” Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer said after topping Oregon State over the weekend. “Really good opponent in Oregon State. Knew it would be that type of game, knew the style they wanted to play. The weather played a part and was something we all had to overcome. Proud of how our guys just continue to go play. It was a grind and guys finding a way to win and coming through when it matters the most. Done that a few times now.”
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Huskies are massive favorites, holding -250 NCAAF betting odds to post a victory. Meanwhile for the Cougars, they are huge underdogs, holding +275 betting odds. The Huskies have dominated this rivalry of late and the expectation is they’ll do so once again on Saturday in Montlake. We’re going with Washington as our pick over Washington State.
DUBS UP ‼️☔️🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/vxmqlTaoBR
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) November 19, 2023
The over should hit between the Huskies and Cougars
With how potent both of these offenses are, there’s no question in our mind that the over should hit between the Huskies and Cougars. While the Huskies were kept to 22 points against the Beavers, keep in mind that the weather conditions for that game were a total nightmare. The rain was falling all night, which led to Penix and his receivers being a bit off the mark on plays they normally would connect on. That should change vs. WSU, with the weather for Saturday expected to be fully sunny.
Washington State is also coming off a huge win over Colorado and Deion Sanders. In stunning fashion, WSU was able to capture a 56-14 win last weekend. Did anyone expect the Cougs to drop 56 points on the Buffs? It was a huge shock, but you’ve got to give credit to quarterback Cameron Ward for having such a huge showing. Now, coach Jake Dickert is hoping his offense can click this weekend against Washington.
Cameron Ward being absolutely surgical. Found an opening between Cormani & Shilo that almost went for a touchdown. Ward has thrown for 1 and rushed for 2 on 14/23 with 219 yards. Josh Kelly with 6 receptions and 130 yards. Wazzu is coming alive and Colorado can’t stop them. pic.twitter.com/s8aHSD8WqD
— Jason Erhardt (@JasonErhardt30) November 18, 2023
“They know how much they mean to me and what they’ve meant to our place, and our program,” Dickert said of his seniors after beating Colorado. “And I’m just so excited that they finished something. Because they’ll be a Coug for life and they made that choice, and then they’ll never look back on that with an ounce of regret …it’s just fun to see. And I thought they played fast and free and just really gave our team energy and all three phases.”
Per the oddsmakers, the over/under for this game has been set at 49.5 points, with -110 NCAAF betting odds for both. Both of these defenses have struggled at times this year and we think the same will be the case on Saturday. This contest could be a back-and-forth one and while we think UW will come out on top, we think Wazzu will be able to keep it close. With all of that said, we’re going with the over, as we’re projecting both Penix and Ward to have incredible days throwing the ball.
Will Washington crack the Top 4 of the CFP rankings?
This week, a major question people have on their minds is will Washington crack the Top 4 of the CFP rankings? The Huskies remain on the outside looking in, but fans are hopeful that the committee will appreciate what they’ve been able to do in recent weeks. Over the past three games, UW has beaten USC, Utah and Oregon State, which has improved their NCAA National Championship Game odds.
First, though, the Huskies are hoping to crack the Top 4 so they can enter the rest of the season with confidence. If the Huskies take down Washington State this weekend, then they’ll enter the Pac-12 title game against Oregon with a ton of Swagger. There’s absolutely no reason for UW to not be included in the CFP if they go perfect during the regular season and then beat the Ducks for the conference title. Penix is still the Heisman favorite as well. From our chair, UW should be a lock for this year’s CFP.
