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Give me the Dawgs and the hook. Purdue is laying three and a half at Ross-Ade, and the current ratings say Washington is the better team. Yeah, the starting quarterback is banged up, but Elijah Brown came off the bench last week and threw three touchdowns on Iowa. Now he gets a Boilermaker defense that’s coughed up 38 or more three times this year. Boiler Up all you want. I’m on Washington plus three and a half.
The Matchup
- Washington has lost three straight. The Huskies are 3-3. They lost 27-24 to Minnesota, 25-21 at USC and 41-24 to Iowa last week, and they’re still looking for their first Big Ten win. The defense has held, giving up 22 points a game, and rates 32nd in the country.
- The quarterback is the story. Demond Williams Jr. hurt his ribs against Iowa, and Jedd Fisch said he seems unlikely to play. Elijah Brown, a Stanford transfer, took the starting reps this week. He came off the bench against Iowa and went 28 of 39 for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
- Purdue can score, and can’t stop anybody. The Boilermakers are 3-3 and have won two straight, 24-17 at Illinois and 41-13 over Minnesota. They score 32 a game but give up 31, and the current ratings put their defense 100th in the country. Notre Dame put 49 on them, and UCLA scored 52.
- Friday night in Indiana. Kickoff is 8:00 PM ET at Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Number
The current ratings, updated after last week, have Washington about three points better on a neutral field, and two and a half points of home field still leaves the Huskies a small favorite. The board has Purdue by three and a half. That’s a six-and-a-half-point gap, the biggest on our list this week.
A gap that big usually means the market knows something, and here we know what it is. The ratings were built with Williams at quarterback. Brown looked comfortable against Iowa, and Purdue’s defense is the worst Washington has faced, but a backup on the road is a real risk. I’ll take the points with the better team and the better defense, as a lean. It’s a Game Pick, a lean, and like every pick we post, it lands on the receipts page win or lose.
In-Game Bets
- If Brown struggles early. Don’t chase Washington live. The whole case rests on the backup playing like he did against Iowa.
- If Purdue leads at halftime. Leave it. Purdue has given up 38 or more three times this year, and second halves have been its problem.
- If Washington leads by a touchdown. Hold. A lean doesn’t need a second bet.
Bottom Line
Take Washington plus three and a half at . Lean. The current ratings make Washington a small favorite, and the board gives the Huskies three and a half. The backup quarterback is why it’s only a lean.
Same-Game Parlay
One read in three legs. If Washington covers, it’s most likely because Brown keeps the offense moving against a defense that’s given up 38 or more three times this year. Over 50.5 has hit in two of each team’s last three games, and Washington has cleared 23.5 points in two of its last three. Every leg needs the same night, so this is one position, not three bets.
The angleWashington scores on a bad Purdue defense in a game that goes over.
Build it at FanDuel →FanDuel prices same-game parlays in its own builder, so there is no price here. Build the legs there and check the number before you place it.
Price: check your sportsbook for SGP pricing. Lines as posted Thursday at 4:00 PM ET; confirm them before you build the ticket. This parlay is a Game Pick.
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