College Football Free Pick: Washington vs Stanford

Week 11 of the college football regular season features a Friday night Pac-12 showdown when the No. 8 ranked Washington Huskies visit the Stanford Cardinal. The current line on top sportsbooks has Washington favored by 6 points with the over/under point total on 45.

Entering this game, Washington on the season is 8-1 straight up and 6-3 against the spread. On the road, the Huskies are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS. Stanford on the season is 6-3 SU and 3-5-1 ATS. At home, the Cardinal are 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS.

Washington must win out if they have any hope of reaching the College Football Playoff. The Huskies sit No. 9 in the latest CFP rankings and have a half-game lead in the North Division of the Pac-12 over both Stanford and Washington State.

Washington has the No. 1 ranked overall defense in yards allowed per game at 241 and is No.6 in rushing defense allowing just 91.1 yards per game.

However, the Huskies will face a tough rusher in Stanford’s Bryce Love. The junior has 1,456 yards rushing, which is No. 2 in the country behind just San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny’s with 1,602. Love has 11 runs of 50 yards or more this season.

Stanford’s special teams must contain Washington’s Dante Pettis. The Huskies punt returner has returned four punts for touchdowns thus far in 2017 and holds the NCAA record with nine during his career with the Huskies.

Myles Gaskin the junior tailback for the Huskies has 918 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Browning has 75 passes for touchdowns during career at Washington, with 16 this season.

Love rushed for just 69 yards last week, a season low, when the Cardinal were beaten by Washington State. However, he did score a touchdown on a run of 52 yards and has one run of 50 yards or more in each of Stanford’s games this season.

Stanford will start a freshman, K.J. Costello, at quarterback. This will be just his second start after struggling last week in the snow against Washington State.

Washington beat Stanford 44-6 last season, but Stanford has won 9 of the last 12 meetings between the two.

Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 Pac-12 games.

Stanford is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 Pac-12 games.

With this free pick, we like Washington to cover.