Anyone who views No. 2 Washington or No. 3 Texas as an afterthought to win the CFP National Championship is making a major mistake. There’s a reason the Huskies are the only team to ever come through the Pac-12 with a 13-0 record, in arguably the conference’s toughest-ever season, no less.
Similarly, the Longhorns went into Tuscaloosa and gave Alabama their only loss of the year; why can’t they beat anyone in the country?
This game should have no lack of points, pace, and star performances with stud quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Quinn Ewers squaring off, not to mention a massive battle of the wits between head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Steve Sarkisian.
After 60 hard-fought minutes on New Year’s Day, one of these two teams’ remarkable seasons will end, while the other will be just a solitary victory away from lifting the greatest prize in college sports.
Read on for Texas Longhorns vs Washington Huskies college football picks and predictions for this year’s College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Monday, Jan. 1, at 8:45 p.m. ET.
Texas vs Washington Odds
Track our latest CFB odds for Longhorns vs Huskies:
NCAAF lines used for Texas vs. Washington were current as of Dec. 19 at 12:15 p.m. ET on DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Texas (-185) • Washington (+154)
- Spread: Texas -4 (-110) • Washington +4 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 63 (-112) • Under 63 (-108)
The total reflects the reality that there will be an absolute litany of scoring in this game between the Huskies and Longhorns. Texas is viewed as a favorite of more than a field goal, a curious number against a team that has yet to lose a football game this season.
Texas vs Washington Prediction
SCORE PICK: Washington 41, Texas 40
Washington seemingly sleepwalked through the end of their regular season schedule, but when they needed to, they turned it on in an absolute classic final game of the Pac-12 era against Oregon. The Huskies are suddenly the only undefeated champion since the establishment of the Pac-12 title game, and somewhat poetically, they will be the last as the conference dissipates after this season.
On the other sideline, Texas might finally, indeed, be back. The Longhorns have finally done the job, providing tremendous amounts of vindication for Sarkisian, a former Washington head coach. Ewers lived up to the hype and won a big game for Texas, as he avenged his own injury in an upset bid against Alabama last year by one-upping that effort and winning on the road against the Crimson Tide, an extremely rare feat in the Saban era.
Between Ewers and Penix, not to mention Sarkisian, this game is an ode to second chances. It’s a clash between two transfer quarterbacks and a coach whose path has been anything but smooth and straightforward but continues to be one of the brightest football minds out there.
These two offenses are among the most potentially explosive in the country, but Washington has a major edge in terms of consistency. Penix simply hits the big throws with much more reliability than Ewers, and in a game that should be closely fought and won on the Margins, we have to favor his Huskies.
Texas vs Washington Best Bets
Washington (+154)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Washington’s biggest weakness this year is their run defense, which makes it hard for them to pull away from teams, but they don’t have to do that; all they have to do is win, even if just by a point.
The Huskies haven’t lost a game all year, and they’re not about to start. They showed what they were made of by not only running a great offense but also finding key turnovers and stops in a pair of tremendous wins over a fantastic Oregon team.
Meanwhile, Texas has been playing some shaky football- after losing the Red River Rivalry game to Oklahoma, they squeaked by Houston, Kansas State, and TCU.
Their conference title game win over a depleted Oklahoma State was very convincing, but none of these teams are even in Washington’s universe; this will be a very different challenge.
Over 63 (-112)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Washington probably can’t run on Texas’s formidable front seven like they did against Oregon, but they don’t need to. DeBoer is a brilliant strategist and with a month to prepare, he will have an appropriate game plan that maximizes his team’s strengths and the pace.
With a fierce pass rush but less-talented secondary, Penix will be tasked with rapidly distributing the ball to his star wideouts, most notably Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Throwing the ball repeatedly will keep the pace high, and with success, Penix should be able to find the points rolling against the back end of Texas’s defense. As for Texas, they should be able to stay ahead of the chains due to a weak Washington run defense, so it could be a big day for star back Jonathon Brooks, and Ewers will find enough big plays to push the pace.
Texas vs Washington Same-Game Parlay
Texas vs Washington SGP (+246)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
- Washington +4 (-110)
- Over 63 (-112)
We’ll stay slightly safer than picking the outright upset for the Huskies; let’s grab the extremely significant number of +4 before it’s gone. All Washington needs to do is stay close to hit this leg, and with their offense’s ability to strike at a moment’s notice, that should be very doable. For our second leg, let’s go with the over once more; it’s a great value for a clash between two of the best offenses in the country.
