Conference shake-ups have taken some college football rivalries away, but fans in Washington don’t have to worry about the rivalry between its state teams disappearing in 2026. The Washington State Cougars and Washington Huskies will face off in the 2026 Apple Cup, with Sunday’s kickoff at Husky Stadium set for 4 p.m. ET. The Huskies have won 10 of the last 12 meetings in this rivalry, including a 59-24 rout in Pullman last season. Both of Washington State’s victories over those 12 games have come in the past five seasons. Washington is favored by 23.5. Bet on Washington State vs. Washington in Week 1 college football at DraftKings and get $200 in bonus bets when you spend $5+:

Kirby Moore takes over as Washington State’s head coach after three seasons as Missouri offensive coordinator. He takes over a team that won seven games in 2025, capping the season with a bowl win over Utah State. Jedd Fisch enters his third season at Washington and hopes to lead the team to a College Football Playoff spot after the Huskies won nine games in 2025.

Washington State vs. Washington betting odds (via DraftKings)

Washington State vs. Washington betting preview

The first big question for Moore will be whether transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick can elevate this offense. He’ll have some help with Kirby Vorhees returning at running back and Tony Freeman stepping up as the team’s presumed top receiver. If Pinnick and fellow transfer Darrius Coleman hit, Washington State could be at the top of the new-look Pac-12. Another big question will be Washington State’s defense, which was one of the best in the country in terms of yards allowed and points allowed. The Cougars bring in a lot of transfers, so that could lead to some regression on that side of the ball.

Washington was embroiled in some controversy surrounding quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who entered the transfer portal despite seemingly having an agreement in place with the Huskies. Williams is back in the fold though, which elevates Washington’s ceiling in 2026. Dezmen Roebuck should take on a bigger role at receiver, and we’ll see if Oregon transfer Jayden Limar can explode in a featured running back role. Washington’s defense brings back plenty of key contributors, headlined by Alex McLaughlin, Xe’ree Alexander and Jacob Lane. If the peripheral contributors can step up to replicate Washington’s takeaway rate while also providing more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, this should once again be one of the better defenses in the Big Ten. Bet on college football games with FanDuel and get up to $350 in bonus bets:

Washington State vs. Washington picks, prediction

Washington State +23.5

The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, sees value on taking the Cougars on the money line as they win in 22% of simulations. I’m not necessarily going to go that far, but I do think Washington State will bring the energy in this rivalry game. The Cougars were cast aside in the Pac-12 exodus, and they’ve been waiting to relaunch the conference. The Huskies may have won by 35 points a year ago, but most of these Apple Cup games are close. Two of the last three contests were decided by one possession, and Washington State would’ve covered a 23.5-point spread in six of the last seven games.