Washington vs. Washington State prediction, odds, time: 2026 Apple Cup picks from advanced model — SkimNews
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- Washington leads the all-time Apple Cup series 77-34-6 and enters the 118th edition ranked No. 16 nationally, having reached the 2023 national title game and gone 15-11 since joining the Big Ten; the Huskies are 23.5-point favorites with a 51.5 total at 4 p.m. ET Sunday at Husky Stadium.
- Washington State returns to a new-look Pac-12 after two seasons as an independent (15-11 record) and turns the offense over to UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick under new head coach Kirby Moore.
- Demond Williams, Washington's returning starting quarterback, was 16-of-19 for 288 yards and four touchdowns in last season's blowout win over the Cougars — the kind of efficiency that anchors the 23.5-point spread.
- SportsLine's projection model, upgraded for 2026 to better account for the transfer portal, simulates every FBS game 10,000 times and is on a 32-19 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks since 2024; it projects 48 combined points, making the Under (51.5) a 54% proposition.
- The rivalry's scoring history is wildly volatile: four of the last seven Apple Cups totaled 45 points or fewer, yet two of the others exceeded 80 points — a split the model can't fully smooth out despite its upgrades.
Why it matters: Washington's returning starting QB (Williams) faces a Washington State team rebuilt around a transfer signal-caller (Pinnick) and a new head coach, making the 23.5-point spread a direct test of how much transfer-portal disruption can offset returning production.
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