Washington Huskies vs. Washington State Cougars Odds and Prediction

The Washington State Cougars (9-2) will host the Washington Huskies (7-4) in the 114th rendition of the Apple Cup. Washington leads the all-time series 74-33-6. After winning seven in a row, the Huskies lost to the Cougars last season 40-13 in Seattle. The big game shifts back to Pullman on Saturday.

The Huskies have won five straight conference games, recently plummeting the Colorado Buffaloes 54-7. Washington led 47-0 late in the third quarter before they finally let up a touchdown. They outgained the Buffs 575-202 in terms of yards. Quarterback Michael Penix, a former star at Indiana University, finished 19-of-31 for 229 yards and one touchdown. Leading rusher Wayne Taulapapa scampered for 107 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries.

Washington vs. Washington State Betting Odds

Team	Spread	Over/Under	Moneyline
Washington Huskies	-2	060	-125
Washington State Cougars	+2	u60	+102

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Meanwhile, Washington State is also riding a winning streak of its own, winning three straight in November. The Cougars went to Tucson, Arizona, and beat the Wildcats last weekend 31-20. They turned over opposing quarterback Jayden De Laura four times in the win, returning one for a 35-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Quarterback Cameron Ward played turnover-free football, going 25-of-36 for 193 yards and two total touchdowns.

Tale of the Tape

Washington is in year one of the Kalen DeBoer era. While he was the frontman at Fresno State, he did a fantastic job, but he exceeded most pundits' expectations, with the Huskies sitting at 9-2. Michael Penix Jr. spent four seasons at Indiana before transferring to Washington and has thrown 26 touchdowns against six picks. He leads the Pac-12 in total yards with 3,921 over 11 games. The Huskies are much more of a passing offense, rushing for only 4.4 yards per play. They are one of four Pac-12 teams to average more than 500 yards per game.

Defensively, they are tougher against the rush than the pass. They only allow 3.7 yards per attempt. Overall, they permit 363.4 yards per game at 5.6 yards per play, the second-best mark in the conference.

Washington State is also beginning a new era with Jake Dickert. At 7-4, the head coach trails only Bill Doba for most wins for an HC in their inaugural season. QB Cameron Ward powers the Cougars. The former Jerry Rice Award winner at Incarnate Word has tossed 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He is 250 yards away from being the first signal caller to surpass 3,000 yards passing since the Mike Leach era. The Cougars, like the Huskies, are much more pass-oriented. They are seventh in the conference in passing yards per game while only ninth in rushing. They are one of four teams in the Pac to average under six yards per play.

On average, the Cougs' defense sees 35 pass and 35 rushing attempts per game. They swarm opposing running backs, allowing a conference-best 3.5 yards per attempt. However, they aren't as efficient against the pass, allowing opposing QBs to complete 62% of their passes for nearly 250 yards per game.

Washington vs. Washington State Prediction

The Washington Huskies are the better team on paper. They have a better quarterback, a better rushing defense, and more star power. Washington State is having a fine season and will get up for this game, but the Huskies should be hungry for a win after dropping last season's game at home.