Washington State Cougars (0-0) vs. Washington Huskies (0-0)
September 6, 2026 4:00 pm EDT
The Line: Washington Huskies -23.5; Over/Under: 50.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Washington State Cougars and the Washington Huskies meet Sunday in college football action from Husky Stadium in Seattle. Here’s a Washington vs Washington State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Washington vs Washington State pick.
Washington State Cougars Betting Preview
Overall, Washington State had a pretty darn solid campaign in 2025. Ahead of the season the Cougars lost a ton of talent via the transfer portal but still managed a winning record at 7-6 overall. Washington State’s only official conference game was against Oregon State in a 32-8 victory. Capping things off in the next outing was a victory over Utah 34-21 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as the team said goodbye to the old Pac-12.
Washington State will debut in the revamped conference this season in what will hopefully be a more normal campaign. Head coach Kirby Moore spearheads a freshman staff that has a tough schedule to navigate through. The team will be stuffed with transfers once again this season, but veteran Keith Brown will be back at linebacker after missing last year with an injury.
Washington Huskies Betting Preview
Over on the Washington side, they did reasonably well in 2025 considering their immensely difficult surroundings in a stacked Big Ten. The Huskies managed to go 9-4 overall with a 5-4 run in the conference, which left the team behind Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, USC, Iowa and Illinois (six of whom were ranked) in the standings. Washington earned a spot in the LA Bowl, where they rolled past Boise State in a big win 38-10.
This will be head coach Jedd Fisch’s third year at the helm, and reaching the heights of 2025’s nine-win total will be pretty tough. The good news is that the team gets the talented Demond Williams back at QB. The bad news is that the team lost dynamic RB Jonah Coleman and leading receiver Denzel Boston. Freshman Dezmen Roebuck will have some big shoes to fill, and he’ll get a ton of work if he can find his footing quickly.
Why the Washington Huskies will win
- Washington has won each of its last 19 games against non-AP-ranked teams at Husky Stadium.
- Washington State has lost each of its last seven games against AP-ranked teams.
- The favorite has covered the spread in each of Washington’s last six games at Husky Stadium.
- Washington State has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four September games as an underdog.
- Washington has won the first half in 25 of its last 26 September games at Husky Stadium.
- Washington has won the first quarter in each of its last four September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Why the Washington State Cougars will win
- Washington State has won eight of its last nine season openers.
- Washington State has covered the spread in each of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
- Washington has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five games as an AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team.
- Washington State has won the first half in each of its last seven games.
- Washington State has won the first quarter in three of its last four September games as an underdog against AP-ranked teams.
Total Points Facts
- Eight of Washington State’s last nine games have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Seven of Washington’s last eight games as a favorite in Washington have gone OVER the total points line.
Washington Huskies Player Prop Facts
- Hunter Green ranked 6th amongst qualified players for gross average yards per punt (47.0) last season.
Washington State Cougars Player Prop Facts
- Jack Stevens ranked 1st in the Pac-12 Conference for made field goals (16) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Washington ranked 3rd among FBS teams for average point differential in fourth quarters last season (+5.4).
- Washington ranked 6th among FBS teams for red zone percentage last season (92.6).
- Washington State have had suffered the equal-most road losses by a margin of 10 points or less of any FBS team last season (4).
- Washington State have had suffered the most road losses by a margin of five points or less of any FBS team last season (4).
Washington vs Washington State Prediction
I’ll stick with Washington. The Huskies have a tough hill to climb this season and it’s hard to imagine they’ll equal nine wins again. That said, Washington does have every reason to expect another bowl berth, and if all goes well I could see them bagging seven or eight victories. Fisch will be taking over the play-calling duties this year, so the offense will sink or swim with him. There are plenty of weapons to work with though, and the line retains quite a bit of experience. The four-game opening homestand will be a great help as well.
As for Washington State, this will be the season to try and find some stability and consistency. All the new faces may have trouble finding chemistry amid a tough early schedule which includes this Apple Cup game and a tricky road trip versus Kansas State. Still, if the Cougars can get a few wins down the stretch things will be looking up for an even smoother campaign in 2027.
