It’s finally time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! The first predictions of the year are upon us, so let’s get to what each of our writers thinks will transpire at 8 PM on Saturday!
The Huskies are currently 21.5 point favorites according to Fanduel Sportsbook. Terms and Conditions apply. See https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/ncaaf for more details.
Andrew Berg (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
Jay Norvell has turned Colorado St into a consistently respectable team. They bring back QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi for his third year as the starter. He tallied almost 3,500 yards in ‘23, but also threw 16 interceptions. His numbers regressed last year due to a receiving corps that was injured and underperforming. With UW’s secondary strength, it will not be easy for a sub-par receiving group to make big plays. CSU will also start a RB who got benched last year behind five new offensive line starters. The Dawgs have legitimate questions along the defensive front, but this is a gentle start for that group. Unless the Rams suddenly perform much better than their component pieces have in the past, it should be a good introduction for Ryan Walters as the DC. The alignment of strengths and weaknesses is not as favorable for the UW offense. Some of the most interesting players on the defense line up on the edge and the Rams should be able to get pressure on the QB. UW starts a converted LT and a RT who did not play well last year in front of a QB who is still calibrating his internal pressure clock. The Huskies should be able to run the ball, but if Demond Williams takes too many ill-timed sacks, it could cause promising drives to stall out. Based on the reports through the fall, I expect the defense to look better than the offense in Week 1, but I think the offense should be able to put up numbers nonetheless. It’s…
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