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The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Washington Huskies in Seattle, WA. Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. ET on FOX.
Washington is favored by -10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -395. The total is set at 46.5 points.
Here’s my Minnesota vs. Washington prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Minnesota vs Washington Prediction
- Minnesota vs. Washington Pick: Washington 1H -5.5
My Washington vs. Minnesota best bet is on the Huskies to cover the first-half spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page and be sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.
Minnesota vs Washington Odds
| Minnesota Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -110 | 46.5 -108o / -110u | +310 |
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -112 | 46.5 -108o / -110u | -395 |
- Minnesota vs Washington point spread: Washington -10 (-112), Minnesota +10 (-110)
- Minnesota vs Washington over/under: 46.5 (-108o / -110u)
- Minnesota vs Washington moneyline: Minnesota +310, Washington -395
Minnesota vs Washington College Football Preview
Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview: Good Until Proven Otherwise
It's been a very up-and-down start to the season for the Golden Gophers, who have prevailed in two of their first three games.
Minnesota dismantled Eastern Illinois and Akron by an average collective win margin of 43 points, but it got steamrolled by Mississippi State by a whopping 25 points at home.
Given such a volatile first three games for the Gophers, it's rather difficult to anticipate which version of Minnesota we'll get in
6-foot-5 junior QB Drake Lindsey has looked pretty impressive in his second season under center, throwing for 747 yards through the air and ranking inside the top 40 in the country.
RB TJ Thomas leads the Gopher rushing attack with 173 yards on just 25 carries, averaging a whopping 7.5 YPC this season.
Darius Taylor was expected to be Minnesota’s lead back heading into the season, but has rushed for just 3.5 YPC on his 20 attempts this season. The Gophers’ senior is the definitive preferred red-zone option for Fleck, having already found the back of the end zone three times.
Minnesota has been far more efficient when throwing the football, though, returning a receiving corps boasting a ton of experience, with senior wideout Noah Jennings and speedster slot option Javon Tracy both excelling over the first three weeks, collectively racking up 457 receiving yards between the two of them.
Saturday night’s Big Ten showdown will be a huge test for Minnesota defensive coordinator Danny Collins’ unit, which looked spectacular in the Gophers’ two victories this season, but abysmal in its blowout loss to Mississippi State, having surrendered nearly 40 points.
While Preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Anthony Smith was expected to anchor this Minnesota defense in 2026, he has made just five tackles over the Gophers’ first three contests.
Collins’ aggressive, heavy-blitzing 4-3 base defensive scheme will be put to the test on Saturday night, and it could be a long night for the Gopher defense if they are unable to apply pressure to one of the most well-rounded QBs in college football, Husky dual-threat Demond Williams.
Washington Huskies Betting Preview: System Fits the Star
Washington is off to a great start to its 2026 campaign thus far and will look to advance to 4-0 on the season in Jedd Fisch’s third year at the helm.
Husky junior QB Williams has been phenomenal over the first three games of the season, throwing for 890 yards in the air (13th) along with 150 rushing yards on just 25 attempts for an impressive 6 YPC.
Williams boasts tremendous athleticism under center and is one of the best dual-threat QBs in all of college football, presenting a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
Despite Washington’s flawless record up to this point, the Huskies have not played their best football to date, having narrowly escaped far inferior opponents in Washington State and Utah State over the first two weeks of the 2026 season.
Fisch's offensive unit bounced back in a big way last week, blowing the doors off Eastern Washington by 32 points behind a 373-yard and four-touchdown stat line from Williams.
Demond leads an elite Husky rushing attack with 150 yards on the ground over the first three weeks, while both senior RB Trey Cooley and true freshman tailback Brian Bonner Jr. have been efficient despite having received fewer touches than their QB up to this point.
Fisch has been very effective since taking over full offensive play-calling duties following Washington’s offensive coordinator leaving the program this past offseason.
Jedd’s offensive system is quite unique and mirrors a pro-style balanced attack that heavily emphasizes running the football, but doing so with identical schematic formations to the Husky passing game, all centered around the play of Washington’s remarkably versatile dual-threat QB.
The Husky offensive line returned four of its five starters from last year, anchored by 6-foot-7 senior tackle Drew Azzopardi and center Landen Hatchett, both of whom play a massive role in the success of Washington’s rushing attack.
Defensive coordinator Ryan Walters also returned many of the Husky starters from a 2025 defensive unit that ranked inside the top 20 in college football.
Washington boasts one of the strongest LB corps in the country, with Jacob Manu and Xe’ree Alexander playing massive roles in the Husky pass rush.
While the Huskies have played a very weak schedule thus far, their defense has allowed opposing offenses just 13 PPG over the first three weeks of the 2026 season.
Minnesota vs Washington Pick, Betting Analysis
While there is no doubt that Fleck’s Gophers looked extremely impressive in their two wins over Eastern Illinois and Akron, I think Minnesota’s 38-13 blowout loss to Mississippi State at home is far more telling relative to what we should expect ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten duel.
Washington boasts an elite offensive line, which has been a huge factor in the success of this Husky rushing attack led by dual-threat Williams.
Although Minnesota’s aggressive heavy-blitzing identity on the defensive side of the football typically fares well against rush-heavy offenses, the Gophers have yet to face a QB of Williams’ caliber who can just as easily find open receivers downfield given his impressive arm strength.
I'm expecting a rude awakening for this Gopher defense in the first half of Saturday night’s contest as Collins’ unit faces its first true road test of the season in a “prime time” game slot in front of a rowdy Husky crowd.
For my primary handicap on Saturday night, I feel confident backing Washington to come out of the gates red-hot, covering its -5.5 first-half spread in a game the Huskies need to make a definitive statement with a far more challenging Big Ten schedule right around the corner.
Pick: Washington 1H -5.5
Minnesota vs Washington Betting Trends
