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The Washington Huskies take on the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Friday, Oct. 16. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Purdue is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -164. Washington, meanwhile, enters as a +3.5 underdog and is +136 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 51.5 total points.
Here’s my Washington vs. Purdue prediction and college football pick for Friday, October 16.
Washington vs Purdue Prediction
- Washington vs. Purdue Pick: Washington +3.5
My Purdue vs. Washington best bet is on the Huskies to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Washington vs Purdue Odds
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -115 | 51.5 -118o / -104u | +136 |
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -105 | 51.5 -118o / -104u | -164 |
- Washington vs Purdue Spread: Purdue -3.5 (-105), Washington +3.5 (-115)
- Washington vs Purdue Over/Under: 51.5 (-118o / -110u)
- Washington vs Purdue Moneyline: Washington +136, Purdue -164
Washington vs Purdue College Football Preview
Washington Huskies Betting Preview: Is Brown the Answer?
Washington got off to a solid start in head coach Jedd Fisch’s third year at the helm, winning each of its first three contests by an average margin of 16 points.
The Huskies hit a speed bump in Week 4, dropping their first game of the season to Minnesota in front of a home crowd at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
Despite getting off to a great start to his 2026 campaign, Washington dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has struggled mightily over the last three weeks.
In the first half of Washington's Week 6 loss to 20th-ranked Iowa, Williams suffered a rib injury that forced him to miss the remainder of Saturday’s contest, leaving backup Elijah Brown to take over under center to finish the game.
Right as the Huskies appeared seemingly helpless, the Stanford transfer lit up an elite Iowa defense in the second half, throwing for 251 yards with three passing touchdowns.
While betting markets have priced Washington as a 3.5-point road underdog with Williams not expected to suit up on Friday night, I was actually far more impressed with Brown’s efficiency in the pocket.
That has led to my speculation on whether the Huskies are actually a better football team with Brown under center. Though the proverbial chips may be down for Washington on the surface, the Huskies may have found themselves a very capable QB.
Sophomore wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck is also having a phenomenal second season in Seattle, already racking up 387 receiving yards thus far. Roebuck’s 43 receptions also rank fifth in all of college football.
Washington’s defensive unit has also been quite impressive this season, with its opponents scoring just over 18 points per game over the Huskies’ first six contests.
After dropping the first three games on their Big Ten schedule, the Huskies undoubtedly have their backs against the wall heading into Week 7’s clash against Purdue on Friday night.
Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview: Offense Leads the Way
Purdue comes into its Friday night matchup with Washington with two straight wins after a rough 1-3 start to the season.
While the Boilermakers’ sluggish start was definitely concerning, head coach Barry Odom’s bunch faced the likes of Notre Dame and UCLA, both of whom still hold undefeated records heading into Week 7.
Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne has been phenomenal under center over the Boilermakers' first six games. The junior has already thrown for 1,549 passing yards, ranking 14th in the country.
Browne has been very efficient in the pocket as well, throwing nine touchdown passes with just one interception. He also ranks 17th nationally with an 81.5 QBR on the season.
Wide receiver Asaad Waseem leads the Boilers with 29 catches for 472 receiving yards over his first six games in West Lafayette, proving that he was a massive transfer portal acquisition for Odom this past offseason.
In addition to Purdue’s impressive numbers throwing the football, the Boilermakers’ rushing attack has been extremely solid as well.
Minnesota transfer Fame Ijeboi has racked up 549 rushing yards along with nine rushing touchdowns, ranking 20th and fifth in the nation, respectively.
While the Boilermakers’ offensive unit has been extremely impressive to date, the same can't be said of their defense, which has allowed their six opponents to score nearly 34 points per game on average, ranking outside the top 115 in college football.
Though the Huskies will be rolling with a backup QB in Brown, the Boilermaker defense will definitely need a huge performance against an extremely motivated Huskies squad.
Washington vs Purdue Pick, Betting Analysis
We're in for a great matchup on Friday night, as two teams in desperate need of a victory will duke it out for a chance to exit Week 7 with a record over .500.
While Purdue has relied heavily on its offense over the first six weeks of the season, the Boilermaker defense has proven to be extremely vulnerable, which could be problematic after seeing Brown carve up an impressive Iowa defense last week.
The Huskies rank 15th in the FBS with a +5 turnover margin, while Purdue’s defense conversely rarely forces turnovers. That could result in Washington winning the turnover battle.
Despite Purdue being in far superior form and holding a slight home-field edge at Ross-Ade Stadium, I think betting markets are slightly overvaluing the Boilermakers coming off two straight victories.
Washington is undoubtedly the more well-rounded team, and I expect that to ultimately be the difference in a spot where I expect Brown to pick apart a Purdue secondary that has struggled all year.
I favor backing the road 'dog on Friday night catching 3.5 points in what is undoubtedly a must-win game for Washington after dropping three in a row.
Pick: Washington +3.5
