Washington vs. Michigan Picks and Prediction, Saturday, October 18, 2025
Use Code WWWC On Saturday, the Washington Huskies will take on the Michigan Wolverines at The Big House in Week 8 NCAAF action. The Wolverines are five-point spread favorites, and the game total is 50 points scored. Kickoff is at noon ET.
This Washington vs. Michigan prediction highlights a Huskies squad that has pulled out consecutive comeback wins since losing to Ohio State and a Wolverines team that has come up short in its biggest games of the season. Saturday's game marks the 16th all-time meeting between these Big Ten opponents. The Wolverines lead the series 9-6, but the Huskies won last year's matchup 27-17 in Seattle.
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Washington has a star at QB in Demond Williams
Washington (5-1 SU, 3-3 ATS, and 3-3 O/U) defeated Rutgers 38-19 at home last Friday. The Huskies are tied for fourth place in the Big Ten football standings with a 2-1 record.
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UW trailed by as many as ten points last week to Rutgers, but a dominant second-half performance allowed the Huskies to win comfortably. The home team poured it on after the half, scoring 28 points and holding the Scarlet Knights to six. Washington gained 579 total yards, as sophomore QB Demond Williams Jr. accounted for over 500 yards of total offense and scored four touchdowns.
“Demond Williams is a superstar,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “He is special, and we’ve known that for a lot of years now.”
Williams headlines the Huskies' offense, having accounted for 1,628 passing yards with a 10:1 TD:INT ratio and 382 rushing yards with four rushing scores. He has completed 74.1 percent of his passes and averaged 5.2 yards per carry. A few other Washington players to watch against the Wolverines are senior RB Jonah Coleman (96 carries for 518 yards, 20 receptions for 243 yards, and 12 total TDs), junior WR Denzel Boston (30 receptions for 444 yards and six TDs), and freshman WR Dezmen Roebuck (18 receptions for 331 yards and two scores).
The Huskies score 39.2 points per game (17th) and average 468.5 total yards (18th), including 279.7 passing yards (27th) and 188.8 rushing yards (38th). The Washington defense allows 19.7 points (36th) and 318.5 total yards (36th) per game, including 235.3 passing yards (85th) and 83.2 rushing yards (8th).
Washington Huskies Football Injury Report: Starting OL Carver Willis (knee), OL John Mills (foot), and EDGE Zach Durfree (elbow) have been sidelined and are unlikely to return to action against Michigan.
Michigan must show more fight than last week
Michigan (4-2 SU, 2-4 ATS, and 3-3 O/U) lost 31-13 at USC last weekend. The Wolverines are tied for fourth place in the Big Ten football standings with a 2-1 record.
UM fell behind early and never controlled the lead last week at Southern Cal, as the Trojans gained nearly 500 yards of total offense, including 224 rushing yards (6.2 YPC). Michigan only trailed by a touchdown at the half, but scored only once after the break, as two interceptions and an ineffective ground game prevented the visitors from being more competitive.
“We didn’t give our defense time to be off the field all night, and I put that on myself,” Michigan running back Jordan Marshall said. "I’m going to help lead this team to make sure that we can be better in all phases of the game.”
Freshman QB Bryce Underwood leads the Wolverines' offense into action with 1,210 passing yards (59.7% CMP%), five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 177 yards and three scores. Underwood's top receiving targets are senior WR Donaven McCulley (22 receptions for 348 yards and two TDs) and freshman WR Andrew Marsh (13 receptions for 248 yards and one TD). The Michigan run game is paced by junior RB Justice Haynes (95 carries for 705 yards and eight TDs) and sophomore Jordan Marshall (59 carries for 301 yards and three TDs).
The Wolverines score 29.5 points per game (60th) and average 418.0 total yards (51st), including 201.7 passing yards (95th) and 216.3 rushing yards (19th). The UM defense surrenders 18.7 points (30th) and 317.7 total yards (35th) per game, including 216.2 passing yards (61st) and 101.5 rushing yards (20th).
Michigan Wolverines Football Injury Report: RB Justice Haynes (mid-section injury) is questionable to play on Saturday against Washington.
Washington vs. Michigan Pick
Moneyline Pick for Washington vs. Michigan
- Huskies ML (4 Units)
I like Washington's chances at pulling off the upset, building off Williams' eye-opening performance last week. Yes, the Wolverines' defense is elite, but I'm confident the Huskies will be able to run the football more effectively than the home team, which could be without their leading rusher. The Williams-Coleman run combo is difficult to defend, to say the least. I also believe the visitors' passing game will be more accurate and explosive than Michigan's, as Underwood hasn't been a difference-maker through the air.
The Wolverines came up short in their biggest tests this season. I won't anticipate a different outcome on Saturday afternoon at the Big House.
Over/Under Pick for Washington vs. Michigan
- Under 50 (4 Units)
The Wolverines will play spirited enough defense to keep the Huskies from pushing the total over 50 points. While it won't surprise me if UW accumulates close to 500 total yards, UM is tough to score against in the red zone (38th in opponent RZ scoring %). The Huskies also failed to finish off some of their drives in their loss to Ohio State, and only played one good half of football last week. On the road halfway across the country, they're unlikely to dominate for four quarters.
I also have major concerns about Michigan's offense after last week's poor performance and the injury Haynes sustained in that loss. Without him, the Wolverines would struggle to move the chains with their run game, as his backup, Marshall, averages just 2.7 yards after first contact. Washington's defense ranks in the top-35 nationally in both Rushing Success Rate allowed and explosives allowed. Simply put, too much pressure on Underwood's shoulders would be unfortunate for the home team.
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