This matchup was THE game of the year for Notre Dame last year. With entry into the College Football Playoff one win away, the Irish couldn’t finish, losing 38-36 to the Cardinal on The Farm and settling for a Fiesta Bowl invitation. The 2016 meeting between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Stanford Cardinal will come at a less critical time on the schedule. The teams will play in Week 7 on Saturday, October 15, at Notre Dame Stadium, but the outcome will have a big impact for a pair of teams with lofty aspirations.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stanford Cardinal +3
Notre Dame Fighting Irish -3
Odds Analysis
There is plenty of football to be played before the teams face each other in the second weekend of October, but the early lines pegged Notre Dame at -3. The spread seems favorable for Irish backers at this point given the preseason expectations of both clubs. We will see movement before game time. Check back for a total.
Last Meeting
The Irish were 10-1 and a virtual lock for the CFP if they ended the regular season with a win. Stanford had a slim chance at making the playoff and had already locked up the Pac-12 North. There was plenty at stake and the game didn’t disappoint.
A 2-yard touchdown run by DeShone Kizer and Justin Yoon’s extra point with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter put Notre Dame in front 36-35. But they left too much time on the clock. With the aid of a 15-yard penalty, the Cardinal drove in position for Conrad Ukropina to kick the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired. The defeat ended Notre Dame’s hopes of earning a playoff bid.
Kizer and Josh Adams each rushed for over 100 yards and the Irish outgained Stanford 533 to 422, yet they still lost. Entering the game as a 4-point dog, Notre Dame did cover the spread, though it wasn’t very comforting.
The Series
Though the series began in 1925, there have been just 30 all-time meetings with Notre Dame holding a 19-11 advantage. The teams have played annually since 1988, with the exception of two years, and both teams have been ranked nationally in the top 25 in each of the previous five meetings.
The teams have split the past four games with each winning on its home turf. But the Cardinal have closed the gap in the series by winning five of the last seven games, however, they are just 3-4 ATS in that span.
Importance
They aren’t conference rivals and geographically the schools are about 2,200 miles apart. So why has this matchup turned into one of the biggest in college football? Likely because the games are entertaining and there always seems to be something on the line.
Last season’s game was a prime example. Both teams were highly-ranked, Notre Dame had a CFP berth on the line, and the Cardinal won on a last-second field goal. It had the entire package. Not all of the matchups have been that good, but it left a lasting impression. The series went to another level in 1990 when 1-3 Stanford knocked off the top-ranked Irish 36-31 in South Bend.
Betting Angle
Revenge is a great motivator, and don’t think the returning players who absorbed that painful loss in Stanford in 2015 are going to forget it. The Cardinal are facing a rebuild in 2016 while the Irish just reloaded.
Many experts have Notre Dame once again contending for a CFP berth and the Cardinal pay a visit this year. The Irish have won 12 of the 15 meetings at Notre Dame Stadium and are 10-4 ATS in the past 14 games overall.
Quick Pick
Stanford has the best all-purpose back in college football in Christian McCaffrey and should have its quarterback situation squared away by the time the teams meet in October. However, the Irish have standouts of their own and have the homefield advantage.
Notre Dame did a nice job defending McCaffrey and the Cardinal last year, limiting the Heisman hopeful to just 94 yards rushing and 19 receiving. Notre Dame did just about everything it needed to do to beat Stanford last year, except score more points. If Notre Dame is as good as expected, that shouldn’t happen this year.
NCAA Odds: Notre Dame 31, Stanford 23
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