Could the Huskies’ Unstoppable Power Finally Crush Boise State in Their Bowl Debut?

Is it just me, or does the kickoff of the Bucked Up LA Bowl feel like the unofficial start to bowl season chaos? Boise State, fresh off a Mountain West title but saddled with four losses, faces a Washington squad that battled through a tough Big Ten gauntlet to finish 8-4. Now, before you jump in, ask yourself—how do you bet on a game where key players might just sit this one out, and prop bets on college football seem like a relic of the past? I’ve been down this road—and trust me, betting less has paid off more—but hey, here I am, committed to throwing a dart at every bowl game this year for my loyal readers. So, what’s the play? I’m leaning Washington -8.5, banking on their dynamic offense to outshine Boise’s if everyone actually suits up. Ready to dive deeper into what’s shaping up for tonight’s 8 PM showdown?
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Boise State vs. Washington, 8:00 ET

This was probably the best college football season that I’ve ever had, and the majority of plays, probably around 90% of everything I bet, was shared on Outkick.com. I have found lately that my success has come when I bet fewer games, rather than trying to bet everything, but I do have a mini mission to provide a play for every Bowl Game this year. It will be a challenge, but I think it is a worthwhile endeavor for the loyal readers. The first Bowl Game of the year is the Bucked Up LA Bowl between Boise State and Washington.

Boise State put together a decent year this season with them finishing at 9-4 for the season. They were first in the Mountain West in the regular season, and they took down UNLV in the championship game to capture the outright title. Their reward? Playing in a pretty crummy bowl game. I suppose they can’t be too upset, given that they had four losses. It isn’t like they deserved a shot at the College Football Playoffs or anything. They played some fairly tough competition, though. They lost to South Florida in an ugly game to start their season, then they lost at least with a respectable outcome against Notre Dame. To start November, they had two ugly losses. One was at home to Fresno State where they dropped the game 30-7, and the next was on the road at San Diego State, and they lost 17-7. In fairness to them, their starting quarterback was out for those two games, but still, you really can’t have that happen. They did win the next two with their backup under center, so it wasn’t all his fault.

Washington put together a nice campaign themselves, but ended 7th in the Big 10 with an 8-4 record. They did have some common opponents with Boise State, but I think we probably would all agree, they played a tougher schedule this season. They lost to Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Oregon. The only one-score game in that bunch was when they faced Wisconsin and lost on the road. This team does have some dynamic players, and their offense should be respected. For the season, Demond Williams, Jr. put up 2,850 passing yards and 21 touchdowns. He did toss eight interceptions for the year, but five of those were against Michigan and Oregon. Williams can do a bit of everything as he also tallied six rushing touchdowns and accumulated 595 rushing yards for the year. The defense of Washington had a bend-but-don’t-break mentality most of the year. They did give up bigger plays to some of the better teams, but I think they can keep the average Boise State team in check.

Here is the biggest problem with betting Bowl Games: Opt-outs. I typically bet everything that I put out to readers because I want some skin in the game with you all. With these, I’ll try and make it clear. I intend to bet them all, but I write these articles early for a variety of reasons, and then they are published on game days. As of right now, it is expected – not guaranteed – that two key players, Kage Casey and Ty Benefield, will sit out for Boise State. Washington doesn’t have any lineup details to share yet. However, I don’t expect a ton more players to sit out from either side, but we will likely see someone drop that alters the line a bit one way or another. I think the best play for this game is a prop on Denzel Boston to get a touchdown, but most places don’t allow wagering on college props anymore, so I’ll give you a different play as well. My look here is to take Washington -8.5. I don’t really love anything about Boise’s offense, and I think the Washington offense, provided everyone plays, should be very impressive.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024