After the Cardinal’s faceplant at Northwestern, is being a huge favorite a sign that Vegas still believes in David Shaw’s team or has quit believing in George O’Leary’s Knights? Stanford looks to rebound from an embarrassing loss as a 10-point favorite at Northwestern last week that dropped them out of the top-25 and hosts Central Florida on Saturday in its home opener, looking to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2006.
ODDS
The line opened at Stanford -17 and spiked to -19. We think Stanford is overrated and 19 points is a lot to pass up against a team that rolled over in Evanston. The total surfaced at 43 and currently sits at 43.5. Both teams struggled moving the ball last week giving the under value.
KEY MISMATCH
Stanford suffered a huge blow when starting defensive tackle Harrison Phillips suffered a season-ending knee injury against Northwestern. While the Cardinal search for solutions to their offensive breakdowns, they now have a serious problem on the defensive line. The injury leaves Stanford with just three reliable linemen: redshirt freshman Solomon Thomas, and seniors Aziz Shittu and Brennan Scarlett, who both are coming off major knee injuries last season. “Where it hurts is our depth,” coach David Shaw said. “We’ll have to lean on some guys.” It’s up to the Knights now to take advantage of Stanford’s misfortune. UCF is hopeful the offensive line will be the most consistent group on the club, but they’ll need to perform better, particularly in the run game, to have a chance against Stanford.
KEY STAT
54.5 – Stanford’s defense struggled to get off the field allowing Northwestern to convert better than half its third-down chances last week. The Wildcats controlled the game running for 225 yards. If the Knights are successful extending drives, they can do the same and keep the game close.
BETTING ANGLE
Stanford was expecting a much better performance from its starting quarterback than it got in losing at Northwestern last week. Senior Kevin Hogan, in his fourth year with the program and third as the starter, flashed signs of the inconsistency that plagued him and the offense last season. Still, the offense is supposed to the backbone of the team while the defense works in plenty of new faces. The roles were reversed last week. Hogan had a rough afternoon, going 20 of 35 for just 155 yards and an interception. He was also sacked three times. Hogan has been with the program long enough and has experienced success, so a bounce back game from him, running back Christian McCaffery, who ran for 66 yards and had a costly fumble, and the rest of the unit is expected.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Plenty of doubt has crept in about the Cardinal after last week’s loss. Working with an experienced group of linemen, a veteran quarterback and a talented running back, the offense was counted on to put points on the board. They failed miserably against Northwestern, a team that isn’t expected to make a ripple in the Big Ten. UCF is dealing with some issues as well after an opening loss to Florida International last week. The two-time AAC champs lost a chunk of starters and dropped a game to a team that had just five wins over the previous two seasons. Stanford is more talented and will respond at home with a win, but laying 19 points to team that’s expected to compete for another conference title is a lot.
Stanford 27, Central Florida 13
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -17 in favor of the Cardinal. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 43. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Central Florida Knights and Stanford Cardinal will take place Saturday, September 12, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Stanford Stadium. The contest will be broadcast live on FS1.
