Auburn vs. Washington Spread Pick
One of the best matchups on the Week 1 schedule features Pac-12 title contender Washington against SEC contender Auburn at 3:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta. Will the Tigers cover the point spread as a small favorite?
Game Snapshot
193 Washington Huskies vs. 194 Auburn Huskies
3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Tigers are 2-point favorites to beat the Huskies. The total, meanwhile, sits at 48.5 points. As of this writing, 56% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Tigers.
Washington Huskies
Washington senior RB Myles Gaskin will get a chance to return kicks for the Huskies, according to HC Chris Petersen. Just how many chances he’ll get as a kick returner remains up in the air, as the Huskies will likely not want to overuse their best player, and do have capable returners in Salvon Ahmed, Sean McGrew and Aaron Fuller available. That being said, Gaskin’s vision and underrated speed could make him a major asset in the return game, and also could help his Heisman chances. Don’t be surprised if Gaskin gets a chance to return an opening kick for the Huskies against Auburn.
Auburn Tigers
Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline is supremely intrigued to see Auburn redshirt junior QB Jarrett Stidham square off with Washington’s secondary on Saturday.
“Stidham made major strides last season, his first under center for Auburn. He’s a patient passer with next level arm strength and NFL accuracy,” Pauline writes, later adding that “[t]he Husky secondary could be the toughest unit Auburn faces this season.” The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Stidham has drawn comparisons to Mitch Trubisky and Derek Carr. Pauline hits him up with a Round 2 grade for the spring.
Betting Trends
Washington
The Huskies are 1-5 against the spread in their last six non-conference games.
Auburn
The Tigers are 0-5-1 against the number in their last six non-conference games.
Prediction
Even though Washington has to fly cross-country to take on a SEC team in SEC territory, the Huskies look like the more complete team to me. While they have a new offensive coordinator, they return four-year starters at both quarterback in Jake Browning and at running back in Myles Gaskin. They also have an excellent defense, which features a secondary that could give Auburn’s passing game issues. I like the dog (sorry for the pun).
College Football Week 1 Prediction: Washington Huskies +2