The No. 14 Cardinal of Stanford (-5) are set to host their in-conference nemesis Utah Utes at Stanford Stadium. Kickoff is fairly late for those on the East Coast (10:30 p.m. ET) and fans can catch it live by tuning in to ESPN.
Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal Betting Preview
In this Saturday Pac-12 game, Stanford is tabbed as the favorite and is currently giving up 5 points. The Utes are also receiving +180 moneyline odds while the Cardinal are -220. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 47 points. Some good in-game betting opportunities may be unveiled during this matchup.
The game’s O/U has shifted lower after opening at 47.5. The original line of -5 has remained consistent.
The Utes are 1-3 against the spread (ATS) and are down 1.1 units so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 1-2. The Cardinal have gained 2.0 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 3-2 ATS and have an even O/U record of 2-2.
The Utes are 2-2 straight up (SU), including 0-2 SU against conference opponents. The Cardinal are 4-1 SU overall and 2-0 SU in conference play.
The Utes will look to bounce back after a 28-24 defeat to Washington State last week. Tyler Huntley completed 12 passes for only 118 yards. Zack Moss (106 yards on 30 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Huntley (88 yards on 17 carries, two TDs) mounted the ground attack in the loss. Britain Covey (four receptions, 22 yards) and Demari Simpkins (two catches, 25 yards) handled the receiving duties.
Stanford just suffered a 38-17 loss to Notre Dame. The defensive unit let the Fighting Irish eat up the clock by running for 272 yards on 55 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Dexter Williams was outstandingfor the Fighting Irish, putting up 161 rushing yards and a score on 21 attempts. For Stanford, K.J. Costello completed 15-of-27 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Bryce Love (73 rushing yards on 17 attempts, one TD) spearheaded the ground attack in the defeat while Trenton Irwin (five receptions, 57 yards) and JJ Arcega-Whiteside (five catches, 30 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps.
Utah’s run the ball on 53.5 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Stanford has a rush percentage of 48.8 percent. The Utes have run for 166 yards per game (including 164 per game against Pac-12 opponents) and have six touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Cardinal are putting up 94 rush yards per game (115 in conference) and have four total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Utes might hold an advantage when it comes to RB efficiency, since their backfield has produced 4.3 yards per carry while the defense is allowing 2.6 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Cardinal have tallied 3.4 yards per carry and given up a YPC of 3.8 to opponents.
The Utes offense has averaged 215 yards in the air overall (128 per game against conference opposition) and has four passing scores so far. The Cardinal have recorded 246 pass yards per outing (255.0 against Pac-12 foes) and have 11 total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Utah seems to have the upper hand in both phases. The team has allowed 84 rush yards and 181 pass yards per game. The Stanford defense has allowed 242.6 yards per game to opposing passers and 152.8 yards per game on the ground. The Utes are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.13 to opponents, while the Cardinal have given up a 5.34 ANY/A.
Offensively, Huntley is up to 683 passing yards this season. The signal-caller has completed 57-of-91 attempts with four passing scores and one interception. He’s got a 6.44 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 2.90 over the last two games.
In the home locker room, K.J. Costello has completed 69-of-115 passes for 903 yards, eight TDs and four INTs. Costello’s ANY/A stands at 6.85 for the year and 8.37 over his past two outings.
When these two teams met a year ago, Stanford knocked off Utah by a field goal 23-20.
RELATED: Week 6 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
NCAA Tip: Utah Utes at Stanford Cardinal
SU Winner – Stanford, ATS Winner – Stanford, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Trends
The Utes offense has tallied three pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Cardinal have accounted for five such plays.
The Utah defense has allowed three pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Stanford has given up two such plays.
The Utah offense has created eight rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Stanford has created five such runs.
The Utes defense has allowed two rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Cardinal have given up eight such runs.
The Stanford defense has created 14 sacks on the year while Utah has nine.
As a team, Utah has averaged 3.34745762711864 yards per rush attempt over its last three outings and 4.1 over its last two.
Stanford has averaged 3.2 yards per carry over its last three games and 2.6 over its last two.
Utah was the underdog by one point in its last game and the O/U was set at 50.5. The over cashed and Utah failed to cover in the 28-24 loss to Washington State.
In its last three games, Utah is 0-3 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
Stanford was favored by 5 points in its last game and the O/U going into it was 54.5. The over cashed and Stanford failed to cover in the 38-17 defeat to Notre Dame.
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