Minnesota-Washington score predictions from Bring Me The Sports staff
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The Gophers open Big Ten play this weekend with a tall task on the road at Washington. Current betting odds favor the Huskies by as many as 10 points. Does Minnesota have what it takes to pull off the upset? Some people seem to think so.
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Here are our staff writers’ predictions.
Tony Liebert: Washington 30, Minnesota 14
I fully believe that Minnesota has the personnel to go into Washington and stick with the Huskies for 60 minutes, but I’ve seen nothing from the coaching staff that makes me think that they will be put in the right positions enough to pull off the upset. The Gophers have lost five road games in a row, and that streak will continue this week.
Demond Williams is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and football teams led by P.J. Fleck have struggled mightily against top-tier signal callers for the better part of the decade. I struggle to find many reasonable paths to victory for the Gophers in this one.
Sep 19, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies players exit the tunnel before a game against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Joe Nelson: Minnesota 34, Washington 23
There’s no way in hell I’m going to pick the Gophers to lose to a team whose sideline reporter expressed significant concerns over Washington’s offensive line, running game, and whether anyone on the Huskies actually likes quarterback Demond Williams. That spells disaster, and, for once, it means the Gophers are going to win in a difficult environment. After the boat capsized in Week 2 against Mississippi State, a win in Washington will have Minnesota rowing in the right direction again.
Will Ragatz: Washington 33, Minnesota 20
I said it before the Mississippi State game, and I’ll say it again: Until proven otherwise, the P.J. Fleck, Greg Harbaugh Jr. Gophers do not usually win games like this. Much like Kamario Taylor, Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. is an uber-talented dual-threat quarterback who figures to give Minnesota’s secondary trouble. The Huskies also have a stout-looking defense, led by star safety Alex McLaughlin. The Gophers should at least be more competitive in this one than they were a couple of weeks ago, but they’re not going to have enough to pull off the upset.
Jonathan Harrison: Washington 27, Minnesota 21
The Gophers have registered two wins against two easy opponents. The one real opponent they’ve faced this year smoked them. So which Gophers team will show up on Saturday is anybody’s guess. Washington isn’t at the level of Mississippi State, so this will likely be closer than that game. As much as they don’t want to say it matters, the West Coast travel and late start time will impact the game. This one remains close, but ultimately I think the Gophers fall to the Huskies.
Here are last week’s picks. Season records for our pickers:
- Will: 3-0
- Joe: 2-1
- Jonathan: 2-1
- Tony: 2-1
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.