Washington
vs.
Stanford
College Football
Free Pick
11/10/17
It may not seem like it, but the winner of this Game could be headed to the Pac-12 championship Game. Washington still only has one loss and is in a good position heading into this one. The Huskies opened as a -7.5 point road favorite at 5Dimes Sportsbook.
OUtside of the loss at Arizona State, it’s been mostly easily sledding for Washington, especially in Pac-12 play. OUtside of that lone loss, the Huskies have won all of their Games by at least 16 points (Rutgers) and all of their Conference Games by at least 21. They aren’t getting full respect on a national level mainly because of that Schedule, but a win at Stanford could change that.
The Cardinal were ranked a week ago, but falling at Washington State changed that. They are still a solid team, but just not great compared to the rest of the country. With Notre Dame still on the Schedule, five losses before a bowl Game could be possible for Stanford.
When these teams met a year ago, it was a complete blowout and possibly the downfall of Stanford. Washington won 44-6 and did whatever it wanted to, as seen in the score. The Cardinal still haven’t lost at home, but this will be their hardest matchup of the season by far. They took down teams like UCLA and Arizona State, but this is another level.
The Huskies have cruised to 82 points in their last two Games and that’s because of a balanced attack from Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin. The Stanford defense hasn’t been at the same levels as previous seasons and that could show up here. Gaskin has gone off for 292 yards and two touchdowns in the last two weeks, while Browning has been mainly a Game manager. Washington will try and go run-first again and as long as that works, Stanford probably won’t have an answer.
The Cardinal continue to struggle on the offensive side and could be in the same situation as a year ago when they scored six points in this matchup. Washington has played solid defense all season, giving up 10 points or less in all by one Conference Game. Throw in a Stanford team that struggles to do anything offensively and it’s hard to see them topping 20 points or even 10.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback K.J. Costello started last Game and he didn’t change much from Keller Chryst. Costello completed just 9-of-20 passes for 105 yards against Washington State and it shouldn’t matter which quarterback gets the call in this one. Even if running back Bryce Love breaks off a run or two, it still won’t be enough. Love is averaging 9.6 yards per carry and 1,456 yards, but he can’t do everything himself. Unless Costello can turn this offense into a balanced offense, the Cardinal will be hard-pressed to match Washington on the scoreboard.
The Huskies are 7-1 ATS in their last Pac-12 Games and have covered in their last five vs. a team with a winning record. The Cardinal are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven home Games and 2-6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Our Pick – Washington -6