Washington vs. Stanford: Spread Analysis and Pick Prediction

Stanford boasts a 12-game winning streak and has revenge on its mind hosting Washington in Pac 12 action Saturday. The odds favor the Cardinal, but the OddsShark.com computer is predicting a Huskies upset.

Point spread: Stanford opened as 7.5-point favorites; the total was 52.5 Thursday. (Line updates and Matchup report)

Computer Prediction: Upset! 33-23 Washington

Why Washington can cover the spread

The Huskies are winning thanks to those little intangibles that help win conference titles. Washington is highly ranked in the NCAA in categories such as 3rd-down conversions (3rd), completion percentage (4th), and pass efficiency defense (2nd). They also rank 5th in total offense and 4th in scoring defense.

Why Stanford can cover the spread

Stanford, the reigning Pac-12 champion, has won 12 consecutive games and features the conference’s top-rated quarterback in Kevin Hogan. His passer rating of 174.6 is just ahead of UW’s Keith Price (173.6), and with this one being on his turf in Palo Alto, it's hard to imagine him having a bad game.

Smart Pick

Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian has infused a lightning-quick offense into U-Dub, which hasn’t trailed all season, while his defense ranks No. 1 overall in the Pac-12 after the first month. The stop unit allows a mere 3.80 yards per play this season, third-best in the nation. This one will be closer than the computer is predicting.

Trends:

Stanford is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games

Seven of the past 10 meetings played UNDER the total

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark - follow them on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.