NCAAFB Betting News, Match-Ups and Trends For Friday 11/23/18

Best 13 games, Friday/Saturday
Iowa beat Illinois 63-0 LW, snapping 3-game skid; Hawkeyes are 3-1 as home faves this year, after being 12-22-1 in that role from 2012-17. All seven Iowa wins this season are by 10+ points. Nebraska won four of its last five games after an 0-6 start; Cornhuskers had scored 31+ points five games in row, before stifling Michigan State 9-6 LW- they’re 6-2 in last eight games as road dogs. Iowa won last three games with Nebraska, winning last two years by combined score of 96-24; Six of last eight games went over total; three of last four Nebraska games stayed under.

Virginia lost two of last three games after a 6-2 start; Cavaliers allowed 242.3 rushing yards/game the last three weeks. Over last seven years, Virginia is just 1-1 as a road favorite. Virginia Tech won its last 14 games with Virginia, which lost its nine visits to Blacksburg- they lost 52-10 in last visit here two years ago. Tech lost its last four games, giving up 42.5 ppg; three of those games were at home. Hokies are 0-3 as home underdogs this year; over last decade, they’re 4-7 in that role. Three of last four Virginia games went over the total.

Oklahoma is 6-0 vs West Virginia in Big X play, winning three visits here by 28-1-12 points; average total in those six games is 73.7. Sooners won their last five games, scoring 48+ points in all five games; under Riley, Oklahoma is 2-5 as road favorites, 1-3 this year. Sooners are 5-3 in last eight games where spread was 3 or fewer points. West Virginia won three of last four games, scoring 41+ points in all four; over last decade, Mountaineers are 4-6 as home underdogs. Over is 6-0-1 in last seven Oklahoma games, 4-0 in WVU’s last four games.

Washington State won its last seven games since a 39-36 loss at USC; Coogs are 9-1 vs spread this year. Wazzu is 13-7 in its last 20 games as a home favorite, 3-1 this year. Washington won last five Apple Cups, winning 45-17/31-13 in last two visits to Pullman. Huskies won three of last four games; they lost their last two road games by total of five points. Under Petersen, Washington is 4-3 as road underdogs; last time they were a road dog was 2015. Under is 6-3 in last nine Washington games, 3-2 in Coogs’ last five games.

Ohio State won its last three games but allowed 31+ points in three of last four games; Buckeyes are home underdog for first time in seven years- over last 11 years, they’re 2-1 as home dogs. Michigan won its last ten games since an opening loss to Notre Dame;; Wolverines are 5-2 as a home favorite this season. OSU won its last six games with Michigan; underdogs covered four of last five series games. Wolverines lost their last eight visits to Columbus (3-5 vs spread). Under is 5-3 in last eight OSU games, 3-1 in last four Michigan games.

Utah State won its last ten games since a 38-31 loss at Michigan State in their opener; Aggies escaped Colorado State 29-24 LW, when Rams’ TD on a Hail Mary was nullified by a penalty. Under Wells, USU is 8-12 as road underdogs, 1-0 this year. Boise State won its last six games, holding last three foes under 20 points. Broncos are 6-17 in last 23 games as a home favorite, 2-2 this year. Boise won four of last five games with USU; Aggies lost 21-10/50-19 in last two games on the blue turf. Over is 7-2-1 in Utah State games; last three Boise games stayed under.

Underdogs are 8-3 vs spread in last 11 Tennessee-Vanderbilt games; Vandy won four of last six meetings, winning 42-24/45-34 last two years. Winner of this game becomes bowl eligible. Tennessee lost two of its three road games but covered all three; they were held under 300 TY in three of last five games. Vanderbilt scored 31+ points in its five wins; they’re 0-6 scoring less than 31. Under Mason, Commodores are 4-10 as home favorites, 0-2 this season. Three of last four games for both teams stayed under the total.

TCU lost four of its last six games; they scored total of 40 points in last three games. Over last 11 years, Horned Frogs are 3-5 as home underdogs, 1-1 this year. Oklahoma State lost four of last six games; they scored 31+ points in last four games. Cowboys are 1-3 on road this year, allowing 35.5 ppg; they’re 5-3 in last eight games as road favorites, 1-2 this year. OSU/TCU split their last four meetings, with underdogs winning last three SU. Three of last four TCU games stayed under total; over is 5-2 in OSU’s last seven. TCU is bowl eligible if they win this game.

Florida State lost three of last four games, needs win here to be bowl eligible; FSU had life/death struggle with BC last week, while Florida had a glorified scrimmage in its easy win over Idaho. Seminoles are 4-2 SU at home- over last 11 years, FSU is 1-5 vs spread as home underdogs. Florida won seven of its last nine games; they’re 6-3 in last nine games as road favorites, 2-0 this year. FSU won its last five games with Florida, winning 31-13/24-19 in last two played here. Over is 6-2 in last eight FSU games, 4-1-1 in Gators’ last six games.

LSU was held to 19-0 points in their two losses; they allowed less than 20 points in their last five wins. Tigers won two of three true road games this year- under Orgeron, they’re 3-0 vs spread as road underdogs. Texas A&M won five of its last seven games, scoring 41-38 points in last couple games. Aggies ran ball for 518 yards last two weeks- they’re 4-1 vs spread as home favorites this year. LSU won its last six games with A&M, winning last three visits here, by 15-6-5 points. Three of last four LSU games, five of Aggies’ last seven games stayed under the total.

Indiana won four of last five games with Purdue, winning last three games played here, by 2-7-20 points. Hoosiers lost five of their last six games after a 4-1 start; they’re 3-3 SU at home, are 3-6 in last nine games as a home underdog, 1-2 this year. Purdue lost three of last four games, giving up 41-47 points the last two games; Boilermakers are 2-2 as road favorites this year, after being road favorite only one time in previous five seasons. Five of last six Indiana games went over; Winner of this matchup between 5-6 teams becomes bowl eligible.

Home side won last five Notre Dame-USC games; favorites covered last six. Irish lost last two visits to LA, 45-27/49-14. Notre Dame is 11-0, clinches spot in national playoff with win here; they covered six of last eight games, are 3-0 on road this season, with all three wins by 10+ points. Irish are 6-2 in last eight games as a road favorite. USC is 5-6, needs upset win here to go to a bowl; Trojans lost last two games by 1-7 points; they’re a home underdog for first time in five years. Over is 6-2 in last eight ND games.

Arizona State ran ball for 250+ yards in five of its six wins; they’re 1-5 running for less than 250. Arizona held its last four foes under 160 YR. Wildcats won two of last three games, need win to go to a bowl. Home side won last five Arizona-ASU games; Sun Devils lost their last two visits to Tucson, 51-35/42-35. Arizona State won three of its last four games; three of those four games were decided by 3 or fewer points. Sun Devils are 1-4 SU on road; they’re 1-3 in last four games as road favorites. Four of last six ASU games stayed under total; over is 3-1 in Arizona’s last four.

November 23, 2018

Unless you're reading this while standing in line to buy some frivolous piece of electronics, congratulations for winning on Black Friday by committing yourself to a full day of watching football. Consider this preview of the day's best games your reward:

Oklahoma (-3.5/85) at West Virginia, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Mountaineers were upset in a shootout at Oklahoma State last Saturday but remain in control of their Big 12 Championship game destiny with the Sooners coming into town. Unlike last season’s regular-season finale, West Virginia will have its leader and Heisman Trophy candidate available with Will Grier healthy and ready to play. Without him, the Mountaineers were held to just 137 passing yards in a 59-31 loss. Dana Holgorsen’s team has scored 40 or more points in four straight games, but the defense has surrendered more than 40 twice in the past three games after not allowing more than 34 in any of the first seven. Although snow can often be a factor in West Virginia this time of year, conditions are expected to be mild other than temperatures in the high 30s.

That should set the stage for both Grier and Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray to light up the defenses in this matchup, so it’s no surprise this total has been set where it lies. The Sooners have scored at least 45 points in each of the past seven outings, topping 50 five times. They lead the nation in scoring offense and rank second-worst defensively in the red zone, which is one reason the ‘under’ has cashed only once through their first 11 games. We could see most of OU’s rushing attack hinge on Murray’s legs since projected starter Trey Sermon is questionable with an ankle injury. Kennedy Brooks may be the Sooners’ lone scholarship running back available. Injuries have decimated Oklahoma on both sides of the ball, so we’ll see who suits up for a defense that has been particularly plagued on that end. Not having safety Kahlil Haughton would really hurt. The Mountaineers were accused of faking injuries to slow down Oklahoma State’s offense in Stillwater, so look for the Sooners to similarly employ an up-tempo approach. West Virginia has only defeated the Sooners twice over their last 10 meetings.

Washington at Washington State (-2.5/50.5), 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX: The Huskies have dominated the Apple Cup since Chris Petersen took the helm in Seattle, winning all four meetings decisively. Last season’s 41-14 loss marked the closest Washington State has come since a 27-17 loss in 2013, Steve Sarkisian’s final season. Mike Leach won his first rivalry game in this series at home in a road upset back in 2012 and hasn’t won since. To date, that’s Washington State’s only victory since ’08 in this annual series where its margin of defeat has regularly topped three touchdowns. None of that matters to this year’s dream team of course, since the easy answer to why Cougar Nation can be so confident this time around is that Gardner Minshew has never taken the field in one of these. The graduate transfer from East Carolina will be looking to cement an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony and needs four touchdown passes to get to 40 for the season, having already thrown for over 4,300 yards.

Of course, no one has thrown for that many touchdowns against a Huskies secondary considered to be among the country’s best. The Washington defense hasn’t surrendered more than 24 points in regulation in any of its games this season, while Washington State has only been held under 28 once. The team often ignores running the football altogether, playing to their strengths in riding Minshew’s accurate arm and decision-making in addition to an extremely talented receiving corps. The Huskies have held Mike Leach’s offense to at least 16 points below their season average in each of the last three Apple Cups. Snow flurries are expected to make an appearance in Pullman, so we’ll see who handles inclement weather best, although the snowfall isn’t expected to be too intrusive. Washington will be healthier than its been in weeks on the offensive end with Myles Gaskin’s ankle feeling better, so we’ll see if he and record-setting QB John Browning can ride out with a perfect record over their in-state rivals, stealing a spot in the Pac-12 Championship in the process.

UCF (-14/69.5) at USF, 4:15 p.m. ET, ESPN: The “War on I-4” is certainly a new-school rivalry lacking in tradition, but there’s plenty of venom involved. Not only are the two schools separated by less than hour’s drive on the interstate, there’s a history of vitriol that extends throughout multiple decades as the two programs have attempted to one-up the other amid their ascent. In South Florida’s case, that included snubbing playing this as an annual rivalry game back when they played football in the Big East. Riding an undefeated record into this contest for the second straight Black Friday, it’s Central Florida that has now become the driving force behind creating national intrigue for this matchup since it has elevated itself as the Sunshine State’s most decorated program over the past 24 months, complete with a Top-10 ranking from a begrudging College Football Playoff selection committee.

USF nearly spoiled last year’s perfect run in Orlando, taking a late fourth-quarter lead before future NFL first-round pick Mike Hughes took back a kickoff 95 yards to snap a 42-42 tie with less than two minutes remaining. UCF won one of college football’s most dramatic games last season and then went on to upset Auburn in the Peach Bowl, ultimately earning the distinction of being “national champions” from the Colley Matrix as the lone undefeated FBS school in 2017. While that claim as co-champs next to Alabama sparks much debate, no one can question that the Knights have surpassed the Bulls as the program to beat in the American, having already secured a berth in the conference title game regardless of what happens here. First-year head coach Josh Heupel has navigated QB McKenzie Milton being banged up and has still produced an offense that has averaged 43.6 points per game, which includes an output of 42.4 in conference games.

Charlie Strong’s defense will be tasked with containing the high-octane attack featuring dynamic running backs, speedy, sure-handed receivers and a pace that is often devastating with Milton at the controls. South Florida ranks 107th of 130 in allowing 61 plays of over 20 yards, while the Knights’ 72 “explosive” plays are tied for seventh in the country. UCF finished off a Saturday in which it hosted ESPN’s College Gameday by crushing Cincinnati 38-13 and has covered in six of its last eight games, which includes a 5-1 run as a double-digit favorite. Weather in Tampa is expected to be terrific and Knights fans travel well, so look for any homefield edge at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Bucs, to be mitigated. USF seeks to reach .500 in league play with an upset but is just 1-3 (SU and ATS) as an underdog this season, defeating Georgia Tech while falling to Memphis, Temple and Cincinnati. All of the losses came on the road. The Bulls come in the more banged-up group, although QB Blake Barnett (shoulder) and tight end Mitch Wilcox (ankle) should play.

Houston at Memphis (-7.5/76.5), 12 p.m. ET, ABC: The identity of UCF’s American Championship game foe will be determined by this outcome. Although the Cougars are currently ahead of the 4-3 pace of Memphis, SMU and Tulane, the Tigers would qualify with a victory here, setting up a rematch of a 31-30 outcome against the Knights on Oct. 13. Memphis surrendered 65 points the next week at Missouri but hasn’t lost since, carrying a three-game streak of double-digit wins into this one. Memphis has won its past four home finales and has helped third-year head coach Mike Norvell to a perfect 2-0 mark over Houston, posting a pair of four-point wins that required topping the 40-point mark to secure. Another shootout is likely here as Cougs head coach Major Applewhite looks to get on the board after losing last season’s game 42-38 despite a 17-point third-quarter lead. The winning touchdown in the last three contests between these West Division rivals has been scored in the final 90 seconds, and any heroics on the Houston side will have to be led by true freshman Clayton Tune, who as forced to take over under center against Tulane last week when prolific junior starter D’Eriq King was lost to a knee injury. Tune threw two TD passes and was picked up once in wrapping up a 48-17 win over the Green Wave, but this will be a completely new experience since he’ll be taking snaps on the road against a defense that will be game-planning for him. For the season, he’s 20-for-42 with 4 TDs and the one pick, throwing for 309 yards.

The Cougs rank fourth nationally in total offense, while Memphis comes in seventh. In order to make life easier on King, expect a heavy emphasis on the Patrick Carr-led ground game. Both teams are likely to attack via the run since rain is expected to impact action at the Liberty Bowl in addition gusting winds. Houston’s defense would get a significant boost if All-American Ed Oliver returns from a knee injury that has kept him out all month. Expectations are that he’ll be out there after practicing on Tuesday, although he’s been scratched as a game-time decision earlier this month. Safety Garrett Davis and DEs Isaiah Chambers, Jerard Carter and Payton Turner have been ruled out for Houston, which is also dealing with multiple injuries on the offensive side that may complicate Tune’s transition, although he’ll have some experience working with players that have co-existed alongside him as backups and will now be getting their chance.

Nebraska at Iowa (-8/53.5), 12 p.m. ET, FOX: This Midwestern rivalry went dormant until the ‘Huskers moved into the Big Ten earlier this decade but is back in full swing, complete with a little hardware known as the Heroes Trophy going to the winner. The Hawkeyes have won in each of the last three seasons and will be looking for a fourth consecutive victory in the series for the first time ever. Last season’s game was a complete embarrassment for Nebraska, which lost 56-14 in Lincoln. The bat signal sent out to then-UCF head coach Scott Frost didn’t grow brighter last Nov. 24, but you would believe it if I wrote that it probably did. Mike Riley was fired afterward but was headed out the door as is. At any rate, it’s now Frost’s job to end Iowa’s dominance despite the fact that he was never touched by the rivalry as a player during his tenure nor as a grad assistant on the coaching staff back in ’02 since the schools played just twice between 1983 and the continuation of the rivalry in ’11.

For Frost, this becomes the ‘Huskers bowl game since they lack the winning record required to continue practicing and playing another few weeks. It will be the first time since 1967-68 that Nebraska fails to play in a bowl in consecutive seasons. It has already guaranteed itself consecutive losing seasons for the first time since ’60-’61. Despite all that, the team is a dangerous foe for Iowa since it is focused on avoiding a carbon copy of last year’s 4-8 finish and intent on closing Frost’s first run with a three-game winning streak and victories in five of six. Iowa destroyed Illinois 63-0 on Saturday to snap a three-game skid that derailed its West Division title hopes, so it will be looking to close its home schedule out with a victory that would be a tremendous source of pride to the locals. Inclement weather is almost certain to be a factor with heavy winds and rain expected in Iowa City, which could slow down dual threat QB Adrian Martinez and the pace in which Frost’s offense can operate. Of course, it could also hinder Iowa QB Nate Stanley’s effectiveness on third down, which has been an area of strength for the Hawkeyes.

Others to watch: Oregon at Oregon State, Texas at Kansas, Virginia at Virginia Tech, Arkansas at Missouri, East Carolina at Cincinnati, Buffalo at Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina at South Alabama, Akron at Ohio U., Central Michigan at Toledo, Eastern Michigan at Kent State

November 22, 2018
By Brian Edwards

**Oklahoma at West Virginia**

-- As of Wednesday, most betting shops had Oklahoma (10-1 straight up, 4-7 against the spread) installed as a 2.5-point favorite for this Big 12 showdown at Milan Puskar Stadium. The total was 84 points and WVU was available on the money line for a +120 return (paid $120 on $100 wagers). By Thursday night, however, the Sooners were 3.5-point ‘chalk’ and the total was up to 85. Most spots had the Mountaineers at +140 to win outright (risk $100 to win $140).

-- Lincoln Riley’s team hasn’t missed a beat offensively despite losing Heisman Trophy winner, Baker Mayfield. Kyler Murray, a former five-star recruit who initially went to Texas A&M, has been nothing short of sensational. Murray has connected on 70.3 percent of his passes for 3,310 yards with a 34/6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s an explosive runner as well, rushing for 739 yards and 10 TDs while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Murray was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s. The plan was to play as the starting QB at OU for one season and then report to A’s spring training in early 2019. However, there’s some optimism in Norman that Murray might consider returning for another season next year.

-- Murray has the second-shortest odds to win the Heisman Trophy at Sportsbook.ag, where he has +500 odds. Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa is the -750 ‘chalk.’

-- Marquise ‘Bollywood Brown has a team-high 59 receptions for 1,021 yards and eight TDs, while CeeDee Lamb has 46 grabs for 829 yards and nine TDs. Lee Morris has 19 receptions for 426 yards and eight TDs.

-- When Rodney Anderson went down with a season-ending injury, the bulk of the carries were left to RBs Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks. Both players have been up to the task – and then some. Sermon has 851 rushing yards, 10 TDs and a 6.4 yards-per-carry average, and Brooks has rushed for 811 yards, 11 TDs and is averaging 9.9 YPC.

-- Oklahoma has failed to cover the number in three straight games. Riley’s bunch beat Kansas by a 55-40 count last week but never threatened to cover the spread as a 35-point home favorite. Murray threw for 272 yards and two TDs with one interception. Brooks ran for 171 yards and two TDs on 25 attempts, while Murray turned eight rushed into 99 yards and three TDs. Brown had six receptions for 55 yards.

-- Sermon left the KU game with a sprained ankle that has him listed as ‘questionable’ at WVU.

-- OU has been dreadful on defense all season. Mike Stoops, the brother of former head coach Bob Stoops, was fired several weeks ago. Out of 130 FBS teams, the Sooners are ranked 87th in the nation in total defense, No. 106 in pass defense, 64th at defending the run and 86th in scoring ‘D’ (30.7 PPG).

-- Oklahoma is tops in the country in total offense and scoring with its 49.5 points-per-game average. The Sooners are seventh in rushing yards and 11th in passing.

-- OU is playing just its fourth road game of the year. The Sooners are 3-0 SU and 1-2 ATS in their three road assignments. As road favorites during Lincoln Riley’s two-year stretch as head coach, they own a 2-4 spread record.

-- West Virginia (8-2 SU, 6-3-1 ATS) is undefeated in five home games with a 4-1 spread record. The Mountaineers are 4-6 ATS in 10 games as home underdogs during Dana Holgorsen’s eight-year tenure. This is their first home ‘dog spot since dropping a 50-39 decision to Oklahoma State last season.

-- WVU is in bounce-back mode after losing 45-41 at Oklahoma State as a six-point road ‘chalk’ last week. OSU’s Taylor Cornelius found Tylan Wallace for an 11-yard scoring strike to put the Cowboys up 45-41 with 42 ticks remaining. With two timeouts left, WVU had time to rally back. However, Holgorsen went completely ‘Mad Hatter’ with his clock management and made two baffling mistakes in not using a timeout. The drive started with a three-yard run by Grier, who got out of bounds at WVU’s 28 to stop the clock with 37 seconds left. Grier then hit Gary Jennings Jr. for an 11-yard gain that temporarily stopped the clock for the first-down markers to be moved. This is when ‘Holgo’ should’ve used his first timeout. Instead, by the time Grier hooked up with Jennings again for a 33-yard reception, there were only 11 ticks remaining. Jennings didn’t get out of bounds, but the clock stopped momentarily for the chains to be moved. At this point with two timeouts left, you obviously and belatedly burn one, right? Nope, not if you’re ‘Holgo.’ He allowed several seconds to drip away yet again and when Grier hit David Sills V for a 14-yard gain to the OSU 14, there was only two seconds remaining. Finally, ‘Holgo’ used a timeout. Had he used one after either of the completions to Jennings, there would’ve been more than 10 seconds – perhaps even 14-15 – remaining instead of merely two. Grier’s pass to Sills in the end zone fell incomplete to end the game. Again, if ‘Holgo’ would’ve simply utilized one morsel of common sense and used a timeout when he was supposed to, Grier would’ve had at least one – maybe two – shots at the end zone.

-- Grier completed 27-of-48 passes for 364 yards and two TDs without an interception at OSU. Kennedy McKoy ran for 148 yards and two TDs on 21 carries, while Grier also had a TD run. Jennings caught seven balls for 92 yards and one TD, and Sills had four receptions for 68 yards and one TD.

-- Grier has connected on 67.2 percent of his throws for 3,325 yards with a 33/8 TD-INT ratio. Sills has 53 receptions for 765 yards and 13 TDs, while Jennings has caught 47 balls for 692 yards and 11 TDs. Marcus Simms has 44 catches for 682 yards and two TDs. McKoy has run for a team-best 648 yards and six TDs, averaging 5.8 YPC. Martell Pettaway has 486 rushing yards, four TDs and a 6.2 YPC average.

-- Behind Tagovailoa and Murray, Grier has the third-shortest odds (10/1) to win the Heisman.

-- This is the highest total both teams have seen this season. Not only that, but it’s the highest tally in all of college football this year.

-- The ‘over’ has been an enormous money maker in OU games this year, cashing at a 10-1 overall clip. The ‘over’ is 3-0 for the Sooners on the road. Their games have averaged combined scores of 80.3 PPG.

-- OU’s last three games have netted combined scores of 95, 97 and 95. In five of the Sooners’ past seven games, they’ve had combined scores of at least 93 points.

-- The ‘over’ has hit in four consecutive WVU games to improve to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in its home outings. The Mountaineers’ highest previous totals were 73.5 and 73 points and the ‘over’ cashed in both instances. Their games have averaged combined scores of 64.2 PPG.

-- Kickoff from Morgantown is scheduled for Friday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Washington at Washington State**

-- As of Thursday night, most books had Washington State (10-1 SU, 10-1 ATS) listed as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 49. The Huskies were +125 on the money line (risk $100 to win $125).

-- Mike Leach’s team is undefeated in six home games with a 5-1 spread record.

-- Gardner Minshew, the grad transfer QB from East Carolina, has enjoyed a helluva season. Minshew has completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,325 yards with a 36/7 TD-INT ratio. He has 92 rushing yards and three TDs.

-- Minshew has eight players who have caught 26 balls or more led by Dezmon Patmon, who has 54 catches for 735 yards and four TDs. Tay Marting has 62 receptions for 637 yards and eight, while Easop Winston has caught 47 balls for 600 yards and eight TDs.

-- Washington State RB James Williams has run for 487 yards and 10 TDs with a 4.5 YPC average. Williams has 69 receptions for 530 yards and four TDs.

-- Washington State is No. 14 in the nation in total offense, No. 1 in passing yards and 12th in scoring with its 40.5 PPG average.

-- Washington (8-3 SU, 2-9 ATS) is 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS in four road assignments.

-- Chris Petersen’s team was – at least to me – considered a national-title contender coming into the 2018 campaign. But three trips into the red zone in the second half of the opener in Atlanta vs. Auburn produced merely three points, resulting in a 21-16 loss to the Tigers. UW responded with a five-game winning streak but with star RB Myles Gaskin injured, it lost 30-27 at Oregon in overtime. Then on Oct. 27, the Huskies went to Berkeley and lost a 12-10 decision.

-- UW is mired in a 0-6 ATS slump.

-- Gaskin is Washington’s all-time leading rusher, but he’s rushed for a career-low 906 yards and seven TDs with a 4.9 YPC average. The senior RB has missed two games due to injury. Gaskin also has 15 catches for 72 yards and one TD.

-- Washington senior QB Jake Browning is the school’s leader in career passing yards. He has connected on 64.5 percent of his throws for 2,485 yards with a 16/8 TD-INT ratio this year. Browning has four rushing scores this year and 16 career rushing TDs.

-- Browning’s favorite targets are Aaron Fuller and Ty Jones, who has 27 receptions for 457 yards and six TDs. Fuller has 49 catches for 754 yards and four TDs.

-- Washington has been a road underdog seven times during Petersen’s five-year tenure, producing a 4-3 spread record. If you count the game against Auburn in Atlanta as a road game, then that record is 4-4. If you don’t count that game, then this is UW first road ‘dogs spot since 2015.

-- Washington has dominated the Apple Cup rivalry in recent years, winning five games in a row over the Cougars. The Huskies have covered the spread in four straight encounters, including last year’s 41-14 win as a 9.5-point home favorite. The 55 combined points went ‘over’ the 50-point total. The ‘over’ is 2-0-1 in the last three meetings. Gaskin gashed WSU for 192 rushing yards and four TDs on 25 carries.

-- Washington is ranked 11th in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to an average of 16.6 PPG. The Huskies are 16th in the country in total defense, 22nd in run defense and 28th at defending the pass.

-- The ‘over’ is 7-4 overall for the Cougars, 3-3 in their home games. They’ve seen their games average combined scores of 63.1 PPG.

-- The ‘under’ is 8-3 overall for the Huskies, 4-1 in their five road assignments. Their games have averaged combined scores of 44.6 PPG.

-- FOX will provide television coverage at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- As of Thursday, most spots had Appalachian State installed as a 10.5-point home favorite for Saturday’s showdown vs. Troy that’ll decide the Sun Belt’s East Division. During Neal Brown’s four-year tenure, the Trojans are 9-1 ATS in 10 games as a road underdog. They’ve been double-digit underdogs nine times, compiling an 8-1 spread record with three outright victories.

-- Florida, a six or 6.5-point favorite at FSU as of Thursday, is favored over the Seminoles for the first time since 2009. The Gators are ‘chalk’ in Tallahassee at Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time since 2008. UF safety Brad Stewart is listed as 'questionable’ with a quad injury.

-- Michigan DE Chase Winovich is ‘questionable’ at Ohio State due to an injury. Winovich has recorded 58 tackles, four sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, seven QB hurries and one pass broken up.