Northern Arizona vs Washington Odds, Lines, and Spread (Nov. 11)

• The Washington Huskies look for their first win of the season as they host the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Thursday as betting favorites
• Both teams are coming off dismal seasons, and both are looking to rebound from season-opening losses earlier this week
• Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Thursday night’s matchup at Alaska Airlines Arena

Two teams coming off season-opening losses will clash on Thursday as the Washington Huskies (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) play host to the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) as lofty 16-point home favorites. Tip off is set for 10:30pm ET on the Huskies’ home court at Alaska Airlines Arena.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs Washington Huskies Odds

Odds at DraftKings as of November 10, 2021.

Lumberjacks vs Huskies Betting Trends

Thursday night’s contest marks just the third all-time meeting between these two programs. The Huskies posted dominating wins in their two previous matchups, capped by a crushing 92-58 win in their last tilt, back in November 2016. That is good news for sports bettors loyal to Washington, which is coming off a dismal 2021 season.

The Huskies stumbled to a 5-21 SU record during the abbreviated campaign, but saw four of those victories come on home court. Washington was equally abysmal at the sportsbooks, particularly early in the season, which they opened on a 2-9 ATS run including a pair of outright losses as home favorites.

Things didn’t go much better for the Lumberjacks, who closed out their season with a 6-16 SU overall record and only avoided the basement in the Big Sky Conference standings because of the Idaho Vandals’ atrocious campaign. However, NAU proved to be an increasingly reliable bet as last season progressed, going 11-6-1 ATS over their final 18 outings. That run features a very respectable 5-2 ATS record in contests while pegged as double-digit underdogs, including a 62-58 upset win in Montana in mid-January as a 12.5-point road dog.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Outlook

The Lumberjacks hope to rebound after opening their 2021/2022 schedule with a crushing 81-52 road loss to Arizona as 25.5-point underdogs on Tuesday night. NAU was dominated in all aspects of that contest, hitting on just 35.8% of field goals attempts and making 21 total turnovers on the night. Currently pegged at No. 325 in the Kenpom rankings, the Lumberjacks have a long way to go to produce just their second winning season since 2015.

What a night for the Wildcats! 😼

Carried by @KerrKriisa’s career-high 17 points, @ArizonaMBB opens the Tommy Lloyd era with an 81-52 victory over NAU.#BearDown | #Pac12MBB pic.twitter.com/uGXRDyT4uO

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 10, 2021

The team returns to action without their top two scorers from last season after seeing Luke Avdalovic and All-Big Sky first teamer Cameron Shelton transfer out. NAU hopes to have filled those holes with the addition of guards Jalen Cone and Mason Stark, who transferred in from Virginia Tech and Northern State, respectively. However, neither new arrival had a major impact in their Lumberjacks debut on Tuesday. Indeed, the team’s best performance came from freshman forward Carson Towt, who led the squad with 11 points and nine rebounds in his collegiate debut.

Washington Huskies Outlook

The Huskies return to action looking for answers after opening their season in disappointing fashion with a stunning 71-64 loss to the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies as massive 19.5-point chalk. The loss extends what was a truly woeful end to last season for Washington, which closed out its schedule on a four-game SU slide. Not surprisingly, the Huskies return to action well off the pace on the odds to win the Pac-12 championship, where they trail as distant +15000 longshots. However, there is reason for Huskies fans to be hopeful after seeing the team overhaul their roster during the offseason.

https://twitter.com/percyallen/status/1458192707243757571?s=20

Washington went the transfer route to add five players, who join returning starters Nate Roberts and Jamal Bey. Terrell Brown Jr. wasted no time making his mark in his Huskies debut after spending last season with Arizona. The senior guard led the Huskies with 22 points and five rebounds in Tuesday’s loss, while Roberts proved to be a force under the bucket, racking up 19 rebounds to go along his 10 points.

While the Huskies still have a mountain to climb to return to respectability, they showed some flashes on Tuesday of what may be in store once this new group gels. They are well positioned to rebound in Thursday’s contest.

The Pick: Washington Huskies -16 (-110)