The Colorado State Rams take on the Washington Huskies in Seattle, WA, on Saturday, Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 11 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
Washington is favored by -21.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2000. The total is set at 53.5 points.
Here’s my Colorado State vs. Washington predictions and college football picks for Saturday, August 30.
Colorado State Rams vs Washington Huskies Prediction, Picks
- Colorado State vs. Washington Pick: Washington 1H -12.5
My Washington vs. Colorado State best bet is on Washington to cover the first-half spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Colorado State vs Washington Odds, Spread, Lines
| Colorado State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21.5 -110 | 52.5 -110o / -110u | +1000 |
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21.5 -110 | 52.5 -110o / -110u | -2000 |
Colorado State vs Washington NCAAF Week 1 Preview
Colorado State Rams Betting Preview
Head coach Jay Norvell tends to get the best out of these Rams, but he has an uphill battle entering the 2025 season. The Rams were 8-5 last season, including a 6-1 record in MWC play, but I envision a setback here.
The Rams return Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi at quarterback, and he's coming off a 14-touchdown, nine-interception season. The problem is that the only returning wide receiver from a year ago is Armani Winfield.
There's some buzz around the younger talent in the locker room, but it's tough to gauge how well the offense will gel in the early going.
I don't like backing offenses with so much uncertainty early in the season, even if their younger talent has a lot of upside. It takes time for a unit to gel fully, and I don't expect the Rams' offense to be high-flying to begin the season.
I also have many concerns about the defense. They only return two starters from last season, which makes it unclear how they'll perform.
They did bring in a few transfers from Power-4 programs, including defensive lineman Dennious Jackson (Kentucky), linebacker Jacob Ellis (Iowa State) and APEX JaQues Evans (Baylor). That should help replace the missing starters from a season ago and bolster the team.
There's also a new defensive coordinator in Tyson Summers, who comes from Western Kentucky. This should help the defense improve from last season, but with all these changes, evaluating the true impact of this change will take some time.
I may become a believer in the Rams' defense as the season progresses, but this is an extremely tough opening-week matchup to fulfill those expectations.
I want to see how these changes play out throughout the season, but against the Huskies, I have no faith that the Rams can keep this game respectable.
Washington Huskies Betting Preview
It's year two of head coach Jedd Fisch's tenure at Washington, and it's one of the under-the-radar teams I had circled entering the season.
Overall, this is a very deep Huskies roster, and there should be more continuity in 2025.
As mentioned above, the Rams undergo many roster ramifications that will take time to gel. This is a premium matchup for the Huskies to get off to a hot start.
Offensively, I have high expectations throughout. The Huskies return a ton of talent, including quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who looked sharp in his limited action.
The Huskies ranked 104th in points per game last season, which is very un-Fisch-like. Williams has a ton of surrounding talent, including running back Jonah Coleman, who has the potential to be one of the best backs in the country.
WR Denzel Boston leads the receiver room and is joined by younger, talented players and a few key transfers, including Omari Evans from Penn State. The offense should have no issues moving the ball at will against the Rams on Saturday night.
Defensively, I love the hire of Ryan Walters, who's always thrived as a coordinator. A ton of experience is returning, and they should be strong in both the trenches and in the secondary.
There are questions in the middle of the defense, as the linebacker core may be the unit's weakness. However, this unit suffered many injuries last season, which leads me to believe there will be a massive improvement.
I have several concerns about the Rams' offense entering the season, and I expect a fiery effort from the Huskies' defense in front of their home crowd.
Colorado State vs Washington Week 1 Pick to Bet
Washington is a 21.5-point favorite, but that number is too short. I'll target the first-half spread and lay the points with the Huskies.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rams sneak in the back door late, especially if they begin to gel as an offensive unit. It'll take some time for that to occur, but playing it safe makes me much more comfortable laying the wood in the first half with Washington.
There's a lot of talent throughout the Washington roster, and I know Fisch will want to get off to a blazing start in front of the home crowd.
Pick: Washington 1H -12.5
