It’s hard to tell what kind of team Washington is this season.
The Huskies are 4-1 on the season, with their lone defeat coming against No. 1 Ohio State, and they’ve got a solid statistical profile, yet they’re not on anybody’s radar in the Big Ten or beyond.
This, despite boasting a decent statistical profile on both sides of the ball, and being ranked as the 23rd-best team in FBS according to SP+, Bill Connelly’s catch-all metric.
The Huskies likely won’t move up much with a win as a heavy favorite against Rutgers on Friday night, but it would set up a litmus-test showdown with Michigan on Oct. 18.
Washington is a balanced team, ranking 37th overall in yards per play on offense and 25th in yards per play allowed. According to SP+, the Huskies boast the 24th-best offense in college football and the 25th-best defense.
Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is getting a lot of the love for Washington’s strong start, but this team can beat you in plenty of ways.
The same can’t be said of Rutgers.
Scrappy as ever, the Scarlet Knights are a competent offensive team, but the defense has struggled in 2025, allowing 29.3 points per game (89th-best in FBS) and 6.7 yards per play (125th).
The offense has helped paper over some of those cracks and provided Minnesota and Iowa plenty to think about in hard-fought losses, but finding success against a stout Washington defense on the road on Friday night is asking a lot out of this squad.
Perhaps Washington gets caught looking ahead to Michigan, but I still think they roll and set up a massive showdown in Ann Arbor next weekend.
The only caveat to add is to keep an eye on Williams Jr.’s status. He was banged up, but all signs point to him playing on Friday night.
The Play: Washington -10.5 (-105, FanDuel)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.