Alamo Bowl Betting Preview: Washington vs Texas

A pair of high-octane offenses are going to square off in the Alamodome, when the Washington Huskies meet the Texas Longhorns. Both teams average more than 35 points per game but the Longhorns are solid defensively. The Huskies aren’t bad defensively but don’t have the resume of Texas, which held teams to 11.5 points under their NCAAF season average.

Game Information

Alamo Bowl Betting Preview

The Washington vs Texas odds saw the Longhorns open as 3.5-point favorites. The line has climbed slightly to Texas -4. The biggest move has been in the total, which opened at 65 and has climbed all the way to 68. The Longhorns are -175 on the moneyline.

The Alamo Bowl betting preview notes both teams were solid against the spread this season. The Huskies went 7-5 ATS, while the Longhorns were 8-4. Washington was favored in 11 games this season, winning its only game as an underdog against the Oregon Ducks. The Longhorns were 7-4 ATS when favored. Texas had one victory where it failed to cover the spread.

The Huskies had six games where the total was at least 60 points and went 4-2 in totals in those games. Washington was 8-4 in totals overall. Texas was 6-6 in totals but just 1-5 when the over/under was 60 or more points. The Longhorns didn’t allow more than 20 points in any of those six games.

Huskies Will Be Heaving the Ball

The Alamo Bowl betting preview shows the Huskies as a pass first team, throwing 43.3 times per game and running the ball 30.8 times per contest. You can’t fault the Huskies for throwing so much with Michael Penix under center. The junior quarterback threw for 4,354 yards and 29 TDs on the season. More impressive is that he was sacked just five times on the season in 500 passing attempts.

Washington averaged 40.8 points against teams that allowed 30.4 points per game. Washington will throw the ball but they’re far from being a one-dimensional team. The Huskies have two running backs who scored 10 or more touchdowns, with Wayne Taulapapa and Cameron Davis. The Huskies had 30 touchdowns through the air and 32 on the ground during the season. Washington had two 1,000-yard receivers in Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, who accounted for 15 receiving touchdowns.

The Alamo Bowl betting preview shows Washington is slightly better than average defensively, allowing 26.3 points to teams scoring 26.8 points during the season. The Huskies were better at stopping the run than the pass, holding teams to 3.6 yards per carry. That could be a big factor when facing a Texas team that runs for more than 200 yards per game. Washington’s numbers against the pass were in line with what their opponents averaged during the season.

Longhorns Shorthanded in the Backfield

The Alamo Bowl betting preview sees the Longhorns going from a position of strength to a weakness due to opt-outs. Leading rusher Bijan Robinson isn’t taking any chances with college football injuries as he projects to be a high first-round draft pick. Robinson rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns during the season. Texas’ No. 2 back, Roschon Johnson, has also opted out of this game. He has been projected everywhere from the third round to an undrafted free agent. Regardless, that leaves the Longhorns without a running back who had at least 25 carries during the season.

The Longhorns averaged 35.7 points on the season and had 28 rushing touchdowns and 21 passing touchdowns during the season. Texas QB Quinn Ewers will play, while backup Hudson Card has entered the transfer portal. Card posted better numbers but had far fewer attempts. Ewers is adequate but may look better than he is going against the Huskies’ pass defense.

Texas will be without second-leading tackler DeMarvion Overshown, who has also opted out of the game. He is likely a mid-round draft pick. While he’ll be missed, the Longhorns have plenty of other defensive players that can get the job done.

The Longhorns played some potent offenses during the season and allowed 21.2 points per game to college football teams that averaged 32.7. Texas will be without second-leading tackler DeMarvion Overshown, who has also opted out of the game. He is likely a mid-round draft pick. While he’ll be missed, the Longhorns have plenty of other defensive players that can get the job done. Texas allowed just 3.4 yards per carry during the year and held teams to 4.9 yards per play.

Will Texas Ground Game Get the Job Done?

The Alamo Bowl betting preview believes the key to the game will be Texas’ ability to run the ball. Ewers is a decent quarterback but not one that you’ll want to try and win games for you. The Longhorns need the running game to be working. They can’t match the Huskies through the air.

There was some question if Penix would opt-out for the Huskies but he said he wanted to play, having never competed in a bowl game before. He’ll get a tough test from the Texas defense but Huskies are probably the best side to take in the Alamo Bowl.

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