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No. 18 Utah vs No. 5 Washington Football Picks This Week

· Nov 09 - 4 minutes read

The No. 5 Washington Huskies are 8-0 and look to stay perfect in Week 11 when they host the No. 15 Utah Utes.

Washington remained dominant last weekend after they crushed CFP contender USC while dropping 52 points on the Trojans’ grossly outmatched defense. Punches in bunches won’t be as easy to come by on Saturday, however, as the Utes have one of the best defenses in the Pac-12.

No. 18 Utah vs No. 5 Washington Football Picks This Week

Utah has been dealing with injuries since Week 1, but they won’t go down without a fight and boast a Heisman Trophy-level quarterback in Michael Penix Jr.

The NCAA football odds as of Wednesday afternoon list the Huskies as -9½ point favorites, with the Utes +280 on the moneyline to pull off an upset. The full-game total is hovering around 52.

Washington Hunting for CFP Berth

The way I see it, the Huskies are one big win away from moving into fourth place in the national rankings and the fourth CFP spot. Being ranked in the top 4 doesn’t guarantee a trip to the playoffs, but the Huskies are one of five undefeated teams left, and life for No. 3 Michigan isn’t getting any easier.

This week, the Huskies can add another win vs a ranked opponent when they face #13 Utah!

Maybe that will give us some respect?

Win. #WashingtonHuskies • #BowDown • #USvsUS

— Puget Jack (Big Hawk Energy) (@PugetJack) November 8, 2023

If I had to choose between all the undefeated teams left, Washington might have the most straightforward game in Week 11, with Geogtia playing Ole Miss, Michigan at Penn State, and FSU at Miami.

The Key for Washington is to keep their offense on the field as much as possible. Utah’s defense is great, but everybody gets tired and worn out late in a challenging game. The longer the Utes defense is on the field, the more danger they are in of Washington and Penix going off.

Washington is, after all, the fourth-highest-scoring offense in the country, with an average of 41.7 points and 509.1 yards per game. Defense is another story, but you don’t have to play stifling defense when you average more than 0.64 points per offensive play run.

We’re not saying Washington’s defense is terrible. They rank 44th in points per game and don’t give up easy points to anyone. It’s just their defensive abilities pale in comparison to their exceptionally talented passing offense.

Utah’s overall defensive numbers are impressive, to be sure. But dig deeper, and they cannot control opposing passing attacks. The Utes are far more competent at limiting rushing yards, with the third-fewest opponent rushing attempts and sixth-fewest yards allowed per game.

But Utah’s passing defense isn’t all that, to be honest. The team ranks 73rd in passes and 47th in yards in the air per game.

I think Utah is a dangerous underdog, but with their issues against the pass and Penix playing very well, I don’t believe the Utes will keep this game from ending in a double-digit loss and allow the Huskies to cover the NCAA football spread.