Washington Huskies vs. Washington State Cougars: Apple Cup Preview with Expert Picks and Odds

The 17th-ranked Washington Huskies will look to build on their seventh-place finish in the Big Ten from a year ago when they take on the Washington State Cougars in the annual Apple Cup college football battle with their in-state rivals on Sunday. Washington tied with Illinois and Minnesota at 5-4 in conference play and were 9-4 overall in 2025. Washington State, meanwhile, was 7-6 overall but will be playing in the revamped Pac-12 this season. The Huskies have dominated the overall series and lead it 77-34-6, having won 10 of the last 12 matchups, including 59-24 last year. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET at Husky Stadium in Seattle. The Huskies are 23.5-point favorites in the latest Washington State vs. Washington odds. The over/under for total points is 50.5. Before making any Washington State vs. Washington picks, check out what SportsLine college football expert Tom Fornelli has to say.

A CBS Sports writer since 2010, the entertaining Fornelli is perhaps best known for his college football expertise. Fornelli co-hosts the popular Cover 3 Podcast and appears regularly on CBS Sports HQ. He has returned $1,141 to $100 players on betting sites on top-rated NFL picks and is 16-5 on his last 21 picks involving Washington games. Anyone following his picks at college football betting sites could have seen huge returns.

Now, Fornelli has locked in another confident pick for Washington State vs. Washington. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for Washington vs. Washington State:

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Top Washington State vs. Washington predictions

Fornelli knows both teams enter as polar opposites as Washington returns its starting quarterback and a good portion of their team from a year ago. Washington State, meanwhile, has a new coach in Kirby Moore and a mostly new roster. Expectations in Seattle are high after a solid run in the Big Ten a year ago, while the Cougars expect to struggle against the 17th-ranked Huskies.

Junior quarterback Demond Williams Jr. leads Washington. In 13 games last season, Williams completed 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He also carried 143 times for 611 yards (4.3 average) and six touchdowns. Jordan Washington is the Huskies' top returning back after finishing fourth in rushing yards for Washington last season with 233 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries.

Washington State, meanwhile, will be led by sophomore UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick. Pinnick completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He also carried 125 times for 437 yards and three scores. Junior running back Kirby Vorhees is Washington State's top returning back, after rushing for 576 yards and five touchdowns a year ago. See what Fornelli has to say about the Washington State-Washington matchup.

How to make Washington State vs. Washington picks

Now, Severance has locked in another confident pick for Washington State vs. Washington. We can tell you he's leaning Under on the point total at betting apps, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. You absolutely need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.