Two teams that prefer to run the football, Head Coach Chris Petersen and the Washington Huskies (-14.5) are set to face off against their Pac-12 nemesis Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET and ESPN will broadcast the action.
Betting Preview: Washington Huskies at Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado is a noticeable home underdog in this Pac-12 matchup and is currently being given 14.5 points. The Huskies are also receiving -750 moneyline odds while the Buffaloes are +510. If one program can find paydirt early on it will create a nice in-game betting opportunity. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 55 points.
The early action has leaned in favor of the Huskies, as the opening line was 13. The game’s over/under hasn’t moved after it was initially set at 55.
The hapless Huskies have lost 8.8 units so far in 2019 and are 6-4 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U mark of 6-4.
The Buffaloes are up 0.8 units this season. The team is 5-5 ATS and owns an O/U record of 4-5-1.
The Huskies are 6-4 straight up (SU), including 3-4 SU against Pac-12 opponents. The Buffaloes are 4-6 SU overall and 2-5 SU in conference play.
The Huskies are trying to maintain momentum after a solid 19-7 win over Oregon State on November 8. The Huskies D did its part in the win, limiting the Beavers to just 88 passing yards and 31 rushing yards. On the offensive side of the ball, Jacob Eason completed just 16-of-32 passes for 175 yards and two interceptions. Salvon Ahmed (174 rushing yards on 25 attempts, two TDs) and Richard Newton (54 yards on 17 carries) led the running attack while Hunter Bryant (five receptions, 90 yards) and Terrell Bynum (four catches, 31 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Colorado just picked up a 16-13 win over Stanford. Steven Montez completed 20-of-30 passes for 186 yards and one interception. Alex Fontenot (95 rushing yards on 18 attempts) and Jaren Mangham (18 yards on 11 carries) spearheaded the running game as Laviska Shenault Jr. (eight receptions, 91 yards) and Tony Brown (three catches, 32 yards) led the receiving corps in the win.
Washington’s run the ball on 53.2 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Colorado has an overall rush percentage of 50.5 percent. The Huskies have run for 167.4 yards/game (including 156.7 per game against Pac-12 opponents) and have 17 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Buffaloes are putting up 153.7 rush yards per game (157.1 in conference) and have 13 total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Huskies may own the advantage in terms of effectiveness in the ground game, as their running backs has logged 4.6 yards per carry while their defense is allowing 3.8 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Buffaloes have ran for 4.2 yards per carry and allowed a YPC of 4.8 to opponents.
The Huskies offensive scheme has averaged 249.1 yards in the air overall (224.4 per game against conference opposition) and has 20 passing TDs so far. The Buffaloes have put up 247.8 pass yards per game (236 against Pac-12 competition) and have 15 total pass scores.
Washington seems to have an edge in both defensive facets. The team’s allowed opponents to rush for an average of 132.7 yards and pass for 217 yards per game. The Colorado defense has allowed 308.9 yards per game to opposing passers and 160.4 yards per game on the ground. The Huskies are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.12 to opponents, while the Buffaloes have given up an 8.13 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Eason has put up 2,156 yards this season. He’s connected on 65 percent of his 265 attempts with 16 scores through the air and only five interceptions. He’s got a 7.98 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 4.30 over the last two games.
Look for a balanced attack offensively from Washington in this one. Salvon Ahmed (836 rushing yards, nine rush TDs this season), Hunter Bryant (542 receiving yards, one receiving TD) and Terrell Bynum (115 receiving yards) have each played significant roles lately.
Steven Montez has completed 200-of-313 passes for 2,233 yards, 13 TDs and nine INTs for Colorado. His ANY/A sits at 6.22 for the year and 3.85 over his past two games.
Look for Montez to spread the ball around early and often in this one. Laviska Shenault Jr. (605 receiving yards and three receiving TDs this season), Tony Brown (579 receiving yards, four receiving TDs), and K.D. Nixon (392 receiving yards, three TDs) have collectively put up 304 receiving yards over the last couple of games.
When these two squads faced each other last year, Washington knocked off Colorado by two touchdowns 27-13.
Washington Huskies vs. Colorado Buffaloes Free Pick
SU Winner: Washington, ATS Winner: Washington, O/U: Under
Team Betting Trends
- The Colorado offense has lost two fumbles this season while Washington has lost five.
- The Washington D has sacked opposing quarterbacks 24 times this year. Colorado has recorded just 17 sacks.
- As a team, Washington has rushed for 4.1 yards per attempt over its past three contests and 4.3 over its last two.
- Colorado has averaged 4.5 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 3.8 over its last two.
- In its last three matchups, Colorado is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- The Over/Under for Washington’s last game was set at 64. The under cashed in the team’s 19-7 victory over Oregon State.
- Over its last three contests, Washington is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- The Over/Under for Colorado’s last match going into it was 57. The under cashed in the 16-13 win over Stanford.
