Two of college football’s most decorated programs are set to face off, but the season hasn’t gone as planned for either of them. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will host the Stanford Cardinal in a game that was supposed to be huge but now features two reeling teams.
The Irish are slight favorites despite being 2-4 on the season. Stanford started the season 3-0 and was ranked in the top-10 but has been blown out in consecutive games against Washington and Washington State. It will be interesting to see which side can turn it around heading into the stretch run of the regular season.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 7 game is set for Saturday, October 15, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Stanford +3
Notre Dame -3
Over/Under 54.5
Odds Analysis
The Cardinal have a better record and the bettors are backing them in this one. Nearly 60 percent of the action is headed Stanford’s way to cover the spread.
The scoring total has been deemed low. More than 90 percent of the early money is taking the “over” as the gamblers believe Stanford won’t be able to keep this one low scoring.
Injury Report
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey is listed as questionable heading into this game against Notre Dame. McCaffrey suffered an undisclosed injury in the third quarter of last week’s 42-16 loss to Washington State and didn’t return.
After an electric start to the season where he accumulated 436 yards on the ground in the first three games, McCaffrey has been limited to just 84 yards over the last two. Losing him would be a big blow for the Cardinal offense, as he is the focal point.
Stanford is only averaging 19.4 points per game, and there would be big concerns about the team’s ability to move the ball if he is unable to play in this one.
Player to Watch
DeShone Kizer -- The Notre Dame signal-caller is a dual threat on the field and the backbone of the offense. He’s also coming off the worst game of the season last week, managing only 54 yards in the 10-3 loss to NC State.
The loss was Notre Dame’s second of the season and the first time this season, Kizer finished without a single touchdown. He finished just 9-of-26 with an interception.
It will be important for the junior, whose athleticism is unquestioned, to bounce back quickly. Kizer had his best game of the season just two weeks ago, throwing for 471 yards and three touchdowns in the 50-33 win over Syracuse.
Kizer is facing a tough Stanford defense which is allowing only 24.4 points per game, but it has been torched in consecutive weeks by the Washington schools.
The blueprint was laid out last week in how to slow down Kizer, but that is much easier said than done. He will likely have the biggest impact on the game of any player.
Free ATS Pick
Many have written Notre Dame off since it has lost three of four lately. However, all three came by one possession, so it’s not as if the Fighting Irish are getting manhandled.
Clearly the season has not gone as hoped for Notre Dame, and this one is crucial if the team hopes to reach a bowl game.
Stanford lost steady quarterback Kevin Hogan after last season and has failed to find a consistent passing game. Without that element, McCaffrey has been the sole focus of opposing defenses and his numbers have gone down.
His injury is worrisome, because if McCaffrey is slowed or sidelined it puts Stanford in a tough spot. Notre Dame is at home and has a healthy star in Kizer. That’s enough to choose them to cover the spread in this matchup.
College Football Odds: Notre Dame 27, Stanford 20
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