Today's Free Picks for
Pinnacle +182 ET365 +180 Sportsinteraction +180 888Sport +180
Posted at 9:00 AM EST. Odds subject to change.
Washington +180 over Indiana
Memorial Stadium – Bloomington, IN
Streaming: Big 10 Network (BTN)
12:00 PM EST. One of the 2024-25 season’s biggest surprises is the resurgence of Indiana Hoosiers Football. Under Coach Curt Cignetti, IU has gone from a B1G bottom-feeder to a College Football Playoff Contender, as the Hoosiers are 7-0 and ranked #13 in the country. Last week against the first “big test” when they hosted Nebraska, the Hoosiers were tested little, if at all, as they went on to demolish the Cornhuskers 56-7. A win of this nature could generate a lot of fanfare on its own, but when we combine it with Indiana covering its last six games against the number and the overall feel-good component to the Indiana story, the propensity for IU to be overvalued is at a maximum. This couldn’t come at a worse time for the market, as Indiana is prone to step into a potential letdown spot as distractions will be plenty in Bloomington with College Gameday coming to town.
The sheer pageantry and spectacle of being the Center of the College Football World for a day can be daunting for the hosts, as College Gameday is not just a show but an experience that immerses and in many occasions could also be a liability for the host, unless one is a team used to this kind of spotlight (i.e. Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, you know the suspects). We’ve seen how teams nominally in the national spotlight have performed previously when all eyes were on them, such as JMU or Duke last year, both of whom came in with big wins on the season and undefeated. Both teams went onto flounder and Indiana, though impressive, could be caught doing the same here. Indiana is expected to play a football game literally right after College Gameday makes its Gameday selections, so the turnaround between festivities and merriment to getting down to brass tax is instantaneous, which could make the scenario that much more difficult to navigate.
As such, the Hoosiers are not being trusted to spot even a touchdown to the unranked three-loss Huskies of Washington, which resonates with us. This is especially the case considering that the last time Washington was in action two weeks ago, they fell to Iowa in a 40-16 drubbing that was actually closer than the box score revealed. The Huskies had no trouble outgaining the Hawkeyes in the game as they did so by 75 total yards and held the ball for nearly 10 more minutes than Iowa. The problem for Washington was its inability to cash in good drives for points and costly turnovers which led to Iowa points. The game ultimately got away from the Huskies before they could ever attempt to turn things around. Washington will enter into this game playing with house money, as they are likely out of the B1G race at this point and have no pathway to the playoff after making it to the National Championship Game last year. Knocking off an undefeated Indiana caught up in the revelry can serve as a nice little trinket moving forward for U-Dub, and the price suggests the upset possibility is real. Huskies outright.
Sherwood
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Our Pick
Washington +182 (Risking 2 units - To Win: 3.64)