Stanford Football Betting Preview

256
$60 in actual member picks FREE from Docs Sports! - Complete with a PROFIT GUARANTEE! Click Here

2014

Stanford Cardinal

College Football

Betting Preview

Schedule and Odds

This could be the year that David Shaw and Stanford take a step back in the wins department. The Cardinal are losing playmakers on both sides of the ball and have an extremely tough Schedule. If they reach the 11-win mark again, that would be an incredible feat.

Stanford is currently listed at odds of 55 to 1 to win the National Title at sportsbook.ag (5dimes.com). Using those odds as a yardstick, that would rank the Cardinal 17th in the Nation.

On offense, the running Game takes a bit of a hit with Tyler Gaffney (1,709 yards, 21 TDs) gone along with Four offensive linemen. However, the line shouldn’t be a huge problem with the newcomers already ready to step up. The question could be at running back where no one really stands out. Barry Sanders Jr. could be the starter and he only had five carries last season. In the end, it’ll likely be some kind of committee with Kelsey Young, Remound Wright and Rickey Seale also involved.

If the running Game doesn’t get going, that could mean trouble for the offense, as Kevin Hogan isn’t exactly a Game breaker at quarterback. He wasn’t asked to do much last year and finished with 20 TDs and 10 INTs. Top receiver Ty Montgomery (958 yards, 10 TDs) is back so expect those two to continue to be a problem for defenses, but also freshman tight end Austin Hooper could be a factor.

The defense also loses a bunch of studs, but they are still going to have a projected starting unit with all upperclassmen. They have all-Conference players on every level from DE Henry Anderson, LB A.J. Tarpley and S Jordan Richards. While they lose the biggest players from last year’s unit, they have the type of guys that can easily step in and make a difference. Stanford will still be one of the best defenses in the Pac-12, despite their losses.

The reason the Cardinal aren’t expected to win the Pac-12 this year has to do with their Schedule. They get Washington, Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA all on the road, which just seems unfair. Throw in a road test at Notre Dame at the start of October and it’s a big question how many wins this team can get.

The good news for Stanford is that all of their home Games should be wins with their hardest test coming against USC in their second Game. Having six road Games automatically throws warning signals up for Stanford’s prospects.

If Hogan can’t get to another level of play this season, the offense could be in trouble to consistently put up points. While they are a pro-style, run-heavy team, with a new offensive line and not any dominant RBs, Hogan will likely need to be a bigger factor. This also means the Cardinal defense has to reach their previous levels as one of the best in the nation.

These will be tall asks with a difficult Schedule. It may not even be surprising if this team doesn’t reach 10 wins. But then again, Stanford seems to impress every season.

2014 Stanford Football Schedule

Aug. 30 vs. UC Davis
Sept. 6 vs. USC
Sept. 13 vs. Army
Sept. 27 at Washington
Oct. 4 at Notre Dame
Oct. 10 vs. Washington State
Oct. 18 at Arizona State
Oct. 25 vs. Oregon State
Nov. 1 at Oregon
Nov. 15 vs. Utah
Nov. 22 at California
Nov. 28 at UCLA
 

Betonline Sportsbook - Fastest Payouts! #1 Rated Must Have Sportsbook! Click Here