Washington vs Arizona Odds

The Washington Huskies head to Tucson to take on the Arizona Wildcats in a Pac-12 After Dark matchup on Saturday. Washington has had Arizona’s number as of late, winning the previous six games.

The Huskies are a force to be reckoned with. In four games this season, they’ve dominated all of their opponents. The narrowest victory they’ve had was 27 points last week against California, winning 59-32.

While 3-1, Arizona hasn’t dominated the field as much as its opponent. It barely snuck by against a lowly Stanford team last week, winning 21-20, but the Wildcats face their tallest order against Washington tonight.

So, where does the betting value lie? Let’s dive into the odds and make a pick and prediction in this Washington vs. Arizona college football betting preview for Saturday, Sept. 30.

Michael Penix leads the way for the Huskies as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Last season, he led the Power 5 in passing yards and boasted the fifth-lowest turnover-worthy play rate.

Penix also leads the nation with 16 passing touchdowns and 1,636 passing yards. He’s been wildly efficient in his career and has helped the Huskies to the top Success Rate in the country.

It doesn’t hurt to have lethal weapons like Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan, who each average over 100 yards per game. Odunze ranks second in the nation in receiving yards, while Polk sits 13th.

The run game obviously isn’t as efficient as the aerial attack, but that’s not surprising considering they have the top passing game in the nation.

Junior running back Dillon Johnson has been as serviceable as needed, averaging six yards per carry and two touchdowns. Sophomore Will Nixon serves as a running back and receiver and rushes for nearly seven yards per carry.

Defensively, they hold their own, but the offense makes life easier. All they need to do is hold their own and Washington will be fine.

Dominique Hampton is the premier defensive back for the Huskies, leading the team in tackles and registering an interception. Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, meanwhile, leads in tackles for loss and ranks second in tackles. Plus, he’s snagged an interception as well.

Junior quarterback Jayden de Laura has been pretty effective this season but has struggled against tougher competition. While he threw for 346 yards and two touchdowns against Mississippi State, he also threw four interceptions.

The metrics certainly favor the QB play, though. Arizona currently ranks fourth in Passing Downs Success Rate and 14th in Passing Success Rate.

However, it has very little chance to make any explosive plays.

Running back Jonah Coleman has run amok on opposing defenses with nearly nine yards per carry. Still, de Laura owns the majority of rushing touchdowns. Either way, Arizona’s successful unit ranks third in Rushing Success Rate.

de Laura has a hefty amount of options in the passing game, most notably Tetairoa McMillan. The sophomore has lit up opposing secondaries, averaging 16 yards per carry while hauling in three touchdowns.

Jacob Cowing hasn’t displayed the big-play capabilities that McMillan has this season, but he’s a favorite for de Laura.

Defensively, this team has held its own. Granted, the competition hasn’t been as high, but it’s been effective in defending the run, ranking third in PPA.

Arizona’s linebackers are among the top in the nation. Sophomore Jacob Manu has been a problem all season, ranking 17th nationally in tackles while adding three sacks. He also has 5.5 tackles for loss.

He’s paired up with redshirt sophomore Justin Flowe, who’s recorded 28 total tackles.

The passing defense isn’t as effective, as the Wildcats rank 52nd in Passing Downs Success Rate and have yet to intercept a pass.

Arizona also sits 30th in total defense and 42nd in Havoc.

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Washington and Arizona match up statistically:

Washington is clearly the better program here.

While Penix will finally see a decent defense, I don’t think it matters. Odunze and Polk are elite at creating separation, and Arizona is incapable of taking the ball away in the air.

Manu will definitely cause some Havoc as he has the whole season, so this will certainly be a test for the quality Huskies offensive line against arguably the best linebacker they’ve played so far.

The books seem to meet the spread in the middle. Washington’s score differential is monstrous, and I can totally see the Huskies winning by a large margin. Arizona’s problems with Stanford and Mississippi State confirm to me that this game won’t be close.

Arizona isn’t a bad team anymore, but it’s not a squad that moves mountains. It could’ve easily been 2-2 after the Stanford game, and Washington is more than capable of winning by a large margin.

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