The Irish are in the College Football Playoff with a win, but it won’t be easy with several players out and C.J. Prosise doubtful with an ankle injury. Stanford still holds out hope of making the CFP, but needs an impressive victory over the Irish and help elsewhere.
But, we’re saying there’s a chance.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stanford Cardinal -3.5
Notre Dame Fighting Irish +3.5
Over/Under 55.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
Stanford has won three straight over the Irish at home and four of six overall. The line was wagered to -4 and the Cardinal could have a slight advantage with several front-line Notre Dame players likely to miss this contest. The total dipped slightly to 55.
KEY MISMATCH
Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey keeps putting up ridiculous numbers and can’t be overlooked in the Heisman Trophy race. He likely won’t win the award considering the Big 12 and SEC has players delivering in primetime with a slanted group of voters. But even if the sophomore running back doesn’t become Stanford’s first Heisman winner since 1970, he at least deserves a trip to New York. Last week, McCaffrey broke the school record for all-purpose yards in a game when he ran for 192, caught a touchdown pass for 49 and returned kicks for 148, for a total of 389. He leads the nation with 2,807 all-purpose yards, nearly 50 yards per game better than the No. 2 player. With three games to go, McCaffrey likely will break the all-time mark of 3,250, set in 1988 by Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders, who won the Heisman Trophy for his achievement.
KEY STAT
21.0 – Notre Dame’s points per game allowed. The Irish rank 28th in the country in scoring defense. Stanford averages 36.8 points per game and has scored 30 points or more in every game since totaling six in the season opener.
BETTING ANGLE
Notre Dame extended its winning streak to six games and improved to 10-1 on the year, clinging to a CFP bid heading into their season finale. But the Irish could be without leading rusher C.J. Prosise, who is doubtful with a sprained ankle, for the biggest game of the season. Also, cornerback KelVarae Russell, the team’s second-leading tackler, is out for the game with a broken right leg. Stanford counters with all-purpose yardage leader McCaffrey and the Cardinal is 5-1 ATS at home this season, while the Irish are 2-3 ATS outside of South Bend. Not to mention Notre Dame just played in Boston last week and now heads to the West Coast for this one. Stanford is still in position to squeak into a playoff berth if other teams fail and a convincing win over an undermanned Irish squad will give them a nice boost.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The story is simple for the Irish, win and a spot in the CFP is theirs. However, the route to get there won’t be so easy. Stanford still has a chance of making the playoff – as slim as it is – and a convincing win over Notre Dame will put them in the eyes of the committee. And the way things have played out this year, a lot can happen. The Cardinal steamrolled Cal last week and showed no signs of a letdown after falling to Oregon two weeks ago. McCaffrey will get plenty of touches on offense and the O-line will do what it does best – wear down the opponent’s defensive front. The Irish have to pay attention to McCaffrey on special teams as well and the threat of him making a big play in the return game will force Notre Dame to make changes in its kicking game. DeShone Kizer will need a huge effort to make up for the possible loss of Prosise and freshman Josh Adams will have huge holes to fill as his replacement. The Irish are 7-2 ATS in their past nine trips to the Farm, but this one has Stanford knocking them out of playoff contention.
Stanford 33, Notre Dame 25
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