The Washington Huskies take on the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on FOX.
Michigan is favored by 6 points on the spread with a moneyline of -220. Washington, meanwhile, comes in as a +6 underdog and is +180 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 50.5 points.
Here’s my Washington vs. Michigan prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 18.
Washington vs Michigan Prediction
- Washington vs. Michigan Pick: 1H Michigan -3.5
My Michigan vs. Washington best bet is on the Wolverines to cover the first-half spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Washington vs Michigan Odds
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | +180 |
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | -220 |
- Washington vs Michigan Spread: Michigan -6, Washington +6
- Washington vs Michigan Over/Under: 50.5
- Washington vs Michigan Moneyline: Washington +180, Michigan -220
Washington vs Michigan College Football Betting Preview
Why Washington Can Cover
A Friday night tilt in conference play saw Washington fall asleep in a Seattle home game against Rutgers. The heavily-favored Huskies trailed at halftime before a 21-point outburst in the third quarter put the game away.
The rush offense caught fire with five explosive plays and an average of 5.9 yards per play.
Quarterback Demond Williams and running back Jonah Coleman provide one of the most dynamic one-two punches in FBS zone-read run concepts.
Even more impressive is the loss of two offensive linemen on the left side, as backups Paki Finau and Maximus McCree graded out well against Rutgers.
Washington is highly efficient when it runs inside zone, racking up a Success Rate of 74%. Outside zone, meanwhile, averages an explosive play on one of every four attempts.
While the offense has been one of the best nationally in quality drives, the defense has had consistent issues in generating Havoc and keeping opponents out of the end zone.
The nickel defense ranks 89th in Pass EPA allowed and 96th in Finishing Drives allowed. Opponents have logged 27 possessions that crossed the Washington 40-yard line, and the Huskies have given up an average of 4.1 points per attempt.
The defense has been top-35 in Rushing Success Rate allowed and explosives allowed, but the secondary continues to post poor grades in coverage and creating a contested catch.
Why Michigan Can Cover
The Michigan defense never showed up in Los Angeles, as the USC offense posted 7.2 yards per play in Week 7.
The Wolverines allowed 6.2 yards per play on 36 rushing attempts, as the Trojans played 51 snaps in standard downs to just 17 in passing downs.
The Michigan defense continues to struggle in defending the pass, sitting outside the top 50 in coverage, efficiency and pass explosives allowed.
The bigger issue is passing downs, ranking outside the top 90 in Success Rate and EPA allowed when opponents get behind the chains.
The Wolverines hold opponents to an average third-down distance of 7.4 yards but rank 70th in opponent conversions.
Grim news came with the loss against USC, as running back Justice Haynes carried the ball just 10 times before exiting with an injury. The running back has one of the highest yards after first contact numbers nationally, leading a Michigan ground attack that was top-30 in efficiency, Line Yards and Stuff Rate.
Haynes was described as questionable entering this game. He would be a massive loss, as backup Jordan Marshall has produced just 2.7 yards after first contact this season.
How To Make Michigan vs Washington Picks
Without Haynes in the lineup for Michigan, the question remains: Is there any offense outside of quarterback Bryce Underwood?
The Michigan signal-caller is the third leading rusher on the team but has generated just 80 yards through zone read and an additional 127 off scrambles.
Slot Semaj Morgan and wideout Donaven McCulley may receive an upgraded target share, as both combine to average less than 10 per game with only three touchdowns on the season.
Notably, Underwood has been fantastic against Cover 3 with a 59% Success Rate. Washington spends a considerable amount of time flipping between Cover 1 and Cover 3 under defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.
The Huskies will have success of their own moving the ball with Williams and Coleman on outside zone reads. The Wolverines have been taken advantage of at the edge position, posting a low 44% Success Rate against outside zone.
Washington holds the statistical advantage in creating methodical drives and finishing in the red zone, while also ranking sixth in FBS in terms of converting third downs.
However, the situational spot cannot be ignored from a kickoff time and geographical angle.
Washington has struggled with two-plus time-zone travel in Big Ten play, failing to log a win in four games at Iowa, Rutgers, Indiana and Penn State in 2024.
In this season's first trip out east, the Huskies failed to score in the first half against Maryland and average eight fewer points in first-half scoring on the season.
With a 9 a.m. PT kickoff, look for Michigan to have the edge despite the potential loss of Haynes.
Pick: 1H Michigan -3.5 or Better
Washington vs Michigan Betting Trends
