College Football

2024 College Football odds: Can Huskies stay unbeaten as underdogs?

Updated Jan. 7, 2024 5:00 p.m. ET

The Dawgs are unbeaten as underdogs under Kalen DeBoer.

Now, can the No. 2 Washington Huskies pull off the most significant upset of the season against the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff championship game in Houston on Monday?

DeBoer and his Huskies are 4.5-point underdogs against Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines.

Since DeBoer was hired prior to the 2022 season, Washington is 5-0 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) as underdogs.

Washington was a 3.5-point underdog against the Texas Longhorns in the CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl. UW won 37-31.

Michigan leads the all-time series 8-5, winning the past two contests.

The Huskies and Wolverines have met four times in the Rose Bowl, with each team winning twice.

No. 2 Washington vs. No. 1 Michigan (7:30 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN)

Point spread: Michigan -4.5 (Michigan favored to win by more than 4.5 points, otherwise Washington covers)
Moneyline: Michigan -196 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $15.10 total); Washington +161 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $26.10 total)
Total: 56.5 points scored by both teams combined

Here's how the Huskies have fared as the underdog under DeBoer:

1/1/2024: Washington (+3.5) 37, Texas 31 (CFP Sugar Bowl semifinal)
12/1/2023: Washington (+9.5) 34, Oregon 31 (Pac-12 Championship)
11/18/2023: Washington (+1.5) 22, Oregon State 20
12/29/2022: Washington (+3.5) 27, Texas 20 (Alamo Bowl)
11/12/2022: Washington (+13.5) 37, Oregon 34

Michigan vs. Washington CFP National Championship early best bets

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd discussed quarterback Michael Penix. Jr. and the Huskies.

The host of "The Joel Klatt Show" said the Huskies remind him of the 2021 Ohio State Buckeyes, which featured quarterback C.J. Stroud and receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

That works in Michigan's favor because they have the experience of facing Stroud & Co.

"It's the exact team with a different logo that Michigan said, ‘We have to build ourselves to beat them,’" Klatt said. "The ‘21 Ohio State team is basically the ’23 Washington team and so Michigan is uniquely suited to play Washington. They built themselves for this style."

Michael Penix Jr. draws Joe Burrow comparison

Cowherd, host of "The Herd," said the Huskies remind him of Joe Burrow and the 2019 LSU Tigers.

"Texas was favored, Texas should have been favored, but this kind of feels offensively like that 2019 LSU team — a brilliant play-caller, a brilliant, smooth dead-eye college quarterback and just too many good receivers for a college team to cover," Cowherd said. "I'm not sure if they beat Michigan. I think Michigan matches up against Washington much better than Texas did.

" … I'd probably take Washington and the points. I don't know if they win; it'll be a wild game."

Do you think the Huskies can improve to 6-0 as the underdog under Kalen DeBoer? Follow FOX Sports for the latest news in college football and other sports.