Updated Texas vs. Washington CFP semifinal odds: Sugar Bowl point spread
This season the Sugar Bowl will act as a College Football Playoff game and will feature the Texas Longhorns and the Washington Huskies. Ahead of that game, the point spread for the game has been updated.
Texas is entering the game as a four-point favorite over Washington. The over/under total is also set at 63.5 points, according to DraftKings.
How to watch Texas vs. Washington
Time: 9.45 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV
Location: New Orleans, LA
Texas and Washington both won their respective conferences this season and are entering the College Football Playoff with their sites set on a national championship. It’s a semifinal game that’s expected to be incredibly competitive and potentially end in a shootout, making it one of the more intriguing matchups in all of bowl season. It’s also a game that features a couple of excellent offensive minds in Steve Sarkisian and Kalen DeBoer.
With the Sugar Bowl being a Playoff game, neither team is suffering too many opt-outs, especially when compared to other bowl games. However, there are still transfers that could have an impact on depth. That includes, notably, Longhorns backup quarterback Maalik Murphy. If starter Quinn Ewers were to get knocked out like Colt McCoy did in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, it would force Arch Manning into action.
In total, Texas has lost 10 players to the transfer portal. Included in that group are four defensive backs, which could create depth concerns in the secondary against a high-flying passing attack.
At this point, Washington has only had three players transfer out of the program. Like Texas, that includes a backup quarterback in Dylan Morris. Beyond him, the Huskies lost a depth corner and wide receiver but no key players.
One of the most intriguing matchups in the Sugar Bowl is going to be Washington’s passing attack against Texas’ secondary. This season, the Huskies are throwing for 343.8 yards per game this season, which is first in the country. Texas was only 94th in the country in passing defense, giving up 240.8 yards per game.
To counter that, the Longhorns will likely rely on two elite defensive linemen in T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy to dominate up the middle as they have all season.
On the other side of the ball, Texas will look to take advantage of a Washington defense that has been susceptible to giving up a lot of yardage this season. The Huskies are only 93rd in total defense. Because of that, there is an expectation this game becomes a shootout between some of the best offensive minds in the sport.
The winner of the Sugar Bowl will take on the winner of the Rose Bowl, either Michigan or Alabama, in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
