The best matchup of the season in the Pac-12 takes place on Friday night at Husky Stadium on ESPN as the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal visit the No. 10 Washington Huskies. This will be just the fourth game ever between ranked teams at Husky Stadium. Both teams are coming off tough wins last week as the Cardinal rallied to beat UCLA while the Huskies beat Arizona in overtime. Stanford has dominated Washington recently, winning 7 of the last 8 meetings. The Huskies opened up as 3.5-point favorites in this Week 5 matchup.
This matchup in Week 5 of the regular season will take place on Friday, September 30, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Husky Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stanford +3.5
Washington -3.5
Odds Analysis
The Huskies opened up as 3.5-point favorites but the number was quickly bet down to 3. It didn’t take long before the line was bet back up to 3.5. There is a good chance that this number goes back down to 3 before Friday’s game as Stanford gets a lot of respect from the wiseguys.
Stanford has been an excellent team to bet in road games under head coach David Shaw and although the Huskies are definitely improved under Chris Peterson, Stanford should have a chance to win this outright so taking the points should appeal to the wiseguys.
Player to Watch
One of the most exciting players in the country and a true game changer is Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. He leads the Cardinal in rushing and receiving and is without a doubt the player that the Huskies have to contain if they are to have a chance to win this game.
McCaffrey would be in the hunt to win the Heisman Trophy if not for the exploits of Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson who is off to an unbelievable start to the season. McCaffrey has 78 carries for 429 yards this season and he has caught 13 balls for 126 yards. He has four touchdowns on the season.
When these teams met last year it was McCaffrey running all over the Huskies as he had 23 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown and he caught 5 balls for 112 yards and a TD. He also added 79 return yards for 300 all-purpose yards.
Key Stat
Stanford has been a very good road team of late, covering their last four games. They have also been excellent in Friday night games going 5-0 ATS. Stanford is 38-16-1 ATS in their last 55 conference games.
Washington is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Huskies have covered the spread in four of the last five at home against Stanford.
Going under the total in Stanford games is never a bad idea as six of their last eight conference games have gone under. Stanford has also gone under in 13 of their last 19 road games. The Cardinal are allowing just 12 points per game this season, 8th best in the country.
Washington is just the opposite when it comes to totals as they have gone over in six of their last seven games. They have also gone over in four of their last five at home. Washington is scoring 45.8 points per game good for 10th in the country while they are allowing 14.5 points per game.
The big stat in terms of the total is when the games are in Seattle as five of the last six have gone under the total.
Free ATS Pick
There is no doubt that Washington is improved this season but all Stanford does is win and they know how to play in big games while Washington does not. This should be a classic game that goes down to the wire and the points are definitely worth taking.
I will go with Stanford plus the points in this contest.
College Football Odds: Stanford 31, Washington 27
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
