The Washington Huskies take on the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
Washington is favored by 11.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -425. Wisconsin, meanwhile, enters as a +11.5 underdog and is +325 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 44.5 total points.
Here’s my Washington vs. Wisconsin prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 8.
Washington vs Wisconsin Prediction
- Washington vs. Wisconsin Pick: Wisconsin Team Total Under 16.5
My Wisconsin vs. Washington best bet is on the Badgers to go under their team total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Washington vs Wisconsin Odds
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -110 | 44.5 -110o / -110u | -425 |
| Wisconsin Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -110 | 44.5 -110o / -110u | +325 |
- Washington vs Wisconsin Spread: Washington -11, Wisconsin +11
- Washington vs Wisconsin Over/Under: 44.5 Points
- Washington vs Wisconsin Moneyline: Washington -425, Wisconsin +325
Washington vs Wisconsin College Football Betting Preview
Washington Huskies Betting Preview: An Underrated Team
Washington debuted at No. 23 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2025.
A 24-6 loss to No. 1 Ohio State and a 24-7 loss to Michigan are the lone losses on the schedule, and the majority of Washington's wins have been decisive, even if that deciding edge came late in the game (see: vs. Washington State).
Quite frankly, I believe Washington is far better than it's being credited for — both in the committee rankings and in the betting market.
Quarterback Demond Williams, running back Jonah Coleman and a cast of talented receivers lead an extremely efficient offense that ranks eighth in points per drive and 41st in generating quality drives.
But why come hot out of the gate with this dazzling offense when you can save it for the fourth quarter?
Against Washington State, the Huskies dropped 28 in the fourth quarter to break a 31-24 contest open to a 59-24 finish. Two weeks later, Washington erased a 20-3 deficit at Maryland to win 24-20 in the fourth. And just last game, Washington used 14 points in the final frame to clean up a 28-17 lead.
So, while the offense takes a few quarters to get rolling, the defense holds the fort down.
Washington has held opponents to a 37.5% Rushing Success Rate (27th) and to the 22nd-worst EPA Per Rush on the season. It's a sound and aggressive rushing defense under new coordinator Ryan Walters.
But it's a different story through the air.
Top defensive back Tacario Davis is back in the lineup after missing a large chunk of the early season. But even with him on the field, the Huskies struggle to contain opposing passing attacks. They rank 114th in Passing Success Rate allowed and 100th in Pass EPA allowed.
The cast of opposing quarterbacks fluctuates wildly in quality.
While Washington has seen Heisman front-runner Julian Sayin, it has also allowed a ton of yards to Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis and Washington State's Zevi Eckhaus, and a high completion rate to Michigan's Bryce Underwood.
And there lies the vulnerability of Washington, which still has Dante Moore left on the docket.
Wisconsin Badgers Betting Preview: Struggles All Around
At 2-6 with no real competitive games yet, Wisconsin decided to double down on head coach Luke Fickell. Even the ever-patient Badger fanbase found this confounding, and cries to fire Fickell have barged their way into Camp Randall Stadium.
Now, Wisconsin closes the season with an absolute gauntlet: top-25 Washington, at No. 2 Indiana, fringe-top 25 Illinois and at rival Minnesota.
Going off whether or not Wisconsin is favored in each game, the Badgers are on a fast track to 2-10 — its worst season in 35 years. (But who knows? That 1-10 finish marked the debut of head coach Barry Alvarez.)
Quarterback Billy Edwards is done for the season, and neither youngster Hunter Simmons nor San Diego State transfer Danny O'Neil has proven to be the answer.
Though the offensive line is the team's strength, the Badgers can't run the ball and lack a true dynamic running back; that room is also suffering from sporadic injuries.
Only UMass has scored fewer points per drive than Wisconsin, which went 11 straight quarters without a single score, snapped only by a late touchdown against Oregon before going on bye.
It's been since Sept. 6 that Badger fans saw their team score more than 14 points, and since before Thanksgiving last year that they saw more than 14 points against a power conference foe.
Oof.
While the defense is respectable, it can't keep games within any sort of reason because the offense averages a paltry 59 run plays per game (131st).
On a down-to-down basis, Wisconsin is stout against the run. Ohio State turned to its quarterback to throw it 40 times rather than run it with young and upcoming backs behind a strong offensive line.
Run-oriented teams like Michigan managed only 24 points, and three of Iowa's four touchdowns came on fields shorter than 50 yards; two started on the plus side of Wisconsin's 25.
But teams can — and do — find success through the air against Wisconsin's secondary.
Top-flight QBs like Sayin and Ty Simpson diced the Badgers defense. With Fernando Mendoza, Demond Williams and Luke Altmyer on tap, there will be plenty more opportunities for the passing metrics to decline even more.
Washington vs Wisconsin Pick, Betting Analysis
Washington opened as a -12.5 road favorite, a number bet down by midweek. The over/under also dipped to 44.5 points.
The route to scoring points on the Huskies is through the air. That's something Wisconsin has not proved capable of doing, unless it found a spare Russell Wilson in the storage closet during the bye week.
O'Neil and Simmons are far below average passers, with the former even struggling in the Mountain West.
That leaves the offense in the hands of a middling run-heavy unit against an elite run defense.
Without much threat through the air — Wisconsin also doesn't roster the pass-catchers talented enough to take advantage of an aggressive Washington secondary — it'll be running into a brick wall all day long for the Badgers.
Though on the road, Washington's defense is well-rested coming off the bye.
To reiterate, Wisconsin hasn't scored more than 14 points against a Power 4 foe since Nov. 23, 2024. It hasn't found 14 against a Big Ten opponent since the same date. It scored one single touchdown in garbage time in the fourth quarter just last week, and the previous score was found on Oct. 4.
This line spots Wisconsin two touchdowns, plus another score somewhere else.
It can't pass well, it won't run well against this defense… where are those points supposed to come from?
Barring six made field goals, I just don't see it.
Pick: Wisconsin Team Total Under 16.5
Washington vs Wisconsin Betting Trends
