Stanford @ Washington State NCAA Football Lines Preview

Stanford @ Washington State NCAA Football Lines Preview

Written by on October 31, 2015

The eighth-ranked Stanford Cardinal will look to keep their winning ways going and cover the college football odds spread when they hit the road to take on the Washington State Cougars in an intriguing Week 9 Pac-12 pairing. Now fans, let’s find out if the Cardinals can bring home the bacon as double-digit road favorites.

How To Bet the Cougars vs. Cardinal NCAA Football Odds, TV & Game Info

When: Saturday, October 31, 10:30 PM ET Where: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington TV: ESPN NCAAF Odds: Stanford -12.5 Over/Under: 62.5

Why Bet on the Washington State Cougars (5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS)

The Cougars have won three straight games, including their narrow 45-42 win over Arizona in Week 8 while covering the spread as a 6.5-point road favorite in the process. Quarterback Luke Falk completed 47 of 62 pass attempts for a whopping 514 yards and five touchdowns in the win. For the season, Falk has thrown a stellar 26 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. “We’ve had a long history of losing around here, and we’re sick of it,” Falk said. “We haven’t achieved our goals yet, and we’ve still got a long season ahead of us. You know, 5-2 feels good, but 6-2 would feel a lot better.” The Cougars are ranked 28th in scoring (36.4 ppg) but just 91st in points allowed (31.0 ppg). “It will be a test of wills all night,” defensive end Aziz Shittu said. “Washington State is a great team and they will be throwing the ball 40-50 times.”

Why Bet on the Stanford Cardinal (6-1 SU, 6-1 ATS)

The Stanford Cardinal have won six straight after dropping their regular season opener and come into this contest off a 31-14 win over Washington as a 14.5-point home favorite. Quarterback Kevin Hogan completed 17 of 24 passes for 290 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while running back Christian McCaffery rushed 23 times for 109 yards and one score while adding five receptions for 112 yards and an additional touchdown. McCaffrey averages a nation-leading 259.7 all-purpose yards per game. “He’s so quick, so explosive,” coach David Shaw told reporters. “The little guy never gets tired. He gets pounded, he gets hit, he gets blown up on a kickoff return and we want to sub him and take him out to see if he’s OK, and he comes over with a smile on his face.” Stanford averages 37.4 points per game (23rd) while limiting their opponents to just 20.6 points per contest defensively (32nd).

My Expert Game Analysis, Prediction & Pick:

I like the Stanford Cardinal a lot and I believe they’ve got a legitimate shot to reach the four-team playoff. Having said that, I’m going with the 40 percent of public bettors that likes Washington State to cover the spread in this Pac-12 pairing. I know Stanford is 7-0 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win and 6-0 ATS in their last six games against a team with a winning record, but I like Washington State is playing right now, not to mention their own bevy of impressive ATS trends. The Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last four conference games and an identical 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a winning record. The Cardinal may be 8-1 ATS in their last nine road games against Washington State, but this year’s team clearly isn’t reminiscent of the same old Cougars. Stanford wins but Washington State gets the ATS cover. My Pick: Stanford 38 Washington State 35