Stanford Cardinal vs. Washington Huskies Betting Odds, College Football Pick

Stanford holds the upper hand in the rivalry with Washington in recent years, winning seven of the last eight meetings straight up, but the Huskies have been taking the cash, covering the spread in three of the last four meetings.

In a game that might decide the Pac-12 North, the Cardinal battle Washington on Friday night up in Seattle.

Point spread: The Huskies opened as 3.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 35.4-21.1 Huskies (college football picks on every game)

Why the Stanford Cardinal can cover the spread

Stanford is 3-0 both SU and ATS on the season after rallying to beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl last week, 22-13. The Cardinal drove the opening kickoff 50 yards to an early 3-0 lead but trailed 10-3 at the half, then 13-9 late in the game. Stanford then drove 70 yards in the last two minutes, ending with a touchdown connection from Ryan Burns to JJ Arcega-Whiteside with just 24 seconds left to take the lead.

The Cardinal defense then iced the victory and the cover as three-point favorites when defensive tackle Solomon Thomas picked up a Bruins fumble and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown with no time on the clock.

On the evening, Stanford outgained UCLA, 350-325, outrushed the Bruins, 207-77 and won time of possession by a 33-27 split. The Cardinal have now covered the spread five games in a row, stretching back to last year's Pac-12 championship victory over USC.

Why the Washington Huskies can cover the spread

The Huskies are off to a 4-0 start after outlasting Arizona in overtime last week, 35-28. Washington actually fell down 7-0, allowing a touchdown on the game's first drive, but came up with a goal-line stand early in the second quarter to avoid falling behind even further.

The Huskies offense then immediately drove 97 yards to a game-tying score. Eventually, after allowing a game-tying score itself with just 17 seconds to go, Washington scored quickly in the top of the first overtime, then came up with another defensive stand to lock down the victory.

Washington had chances to win that game before overtime but missed two field goals and turned the ball over once on downs and once on a pick, both near the Arizona red zone. On the night, the Huskies racked up 512 yards of offense, 352 on the ground, and won time of possession by almost 10 minutes.

Stretching back to last year, UW now owns a seven-game winning streak, going 5-2 ATS in the process.

Smart pick

This is the biggest game for Washington in some time, and Husky Stadium should be rocking on a Friday night. But sometimes emotion can work against a home team. Plus, the Cardinal are a battle-tested bunch, one of those teams that just seems to find ways to win games. The smart money here sides with Stanford.

Betting trends

Stanford is 7-1 SU in its last eight games against Washington.

Stanford is 1-3 ATS in its last four games against Washington.

Washington is 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.

All college football betting lines and point-spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.