TCU Horned Frogs vs Stanford Cardinal Betting Pick & Prediction 8/30/24

ESPN will be covering the season opener for both the TCU Horned Frogs and Stanford Cardinal, as the two teams face off at 10:30 ET on Friday, August 30th. TCU is the -8.5 point favorite on the road, and the over/under line is currently at 61.5 points. The money line odds have TCU at -350 and Stanford at +260. This week one non-conference matchup is being played at Stanford Stadium.

TCU HORNED FROGS VS STANFORD CARDINAL BETTING PICK

The Pick: Stanford Cardinal +8.5

This game will be played at Stanford Stadium at 10:30 ET on Friday, August 30th.

WHY BET THE STANFORD CARDINAL:

• We have the Stanford Cardinal winning this one by a score of 39 to 27
• Not only do we have the Stanford Cardinal winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +8.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 61.5 points

Will The TCU Horned Frogs Win As Road Favorites?

TCU is ranked 30th in our pre-season power rankings, with a 75.4% chance of being bowl-eligible. Last season, the Horned Frogs finished with a 5-7 record, going 3-5 as the favorite and 2-2 as the underdog. They were 4-3 at home and 1-4 on the road.

Looking ahead to this season, TCU has a 7.9% chance of winning the Big 12, according to our analysis. In the futures market, they are listed at +1910 to win the Big 12 and +700 to make it to the Big 12 Championship game, ranking 9th out of the 16 teams in the conference.

Josh Hoover, who threw for 2,206 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for TCU. The Horned Frogs also brought in Ken Seals from Vanderbilt, who threw for 1,183 yards last season. TCU’s passing game averaged 312.2 yards per game last year, ranking 17th in the country, and they were 44th in scoring, putting up 31.3 points per game.

On the ground, TCU averaged 154.1 rushing yards per game, with Trey Sanders returning as the top rusher with 176 yards last season. The Horned Frogs were 15th in third down conversion percentage (46.3%) and threw the ball 41.9 times per game, the 10th highest figure in the nation.

TCU’s defense allowed 27.8 points per game last season, ranking them 52nd in the nation. They struggled against the run, giving up 155.4 rushing yards per game, which placed them 96th in college football. In the passing game, the Horned Frogs allowed 253.7 yards per game, ranking 147th nationally. Despite these numbers, TCU’s defense held opponents to a 58.7% completion percentage (47th) and 7.5 yards per pass attempt (91st).

Are The Stanford Cardinal Going Win In At Upset At Stanford Stadium

Stanford enters the season ranked 59th in our pre-season power rankings after a disappointing 3-9 season. The Cardinal were 3-2 on the road but winless at home, going 0-7. Last season, they were favored in just two of their 12 games, going 0-2 as the favorite and 3-7 as the underdog.

Looking at their chances of being bowl-eligible this season, we are giving them a 42.7% chance, which ranks 96th in the country. However, their odds to win the Atlantic Coast Conference are slim, at just 0.6%, and the betting markets have them as a +48000 long shot to win the conference, which is the least favorable odds among all teams in the conference.

Stanford’s passing game averaged 233 yards per game last season, ranking 71st in the country. However, the Cardinal offense as a whole struggled, finishing 89th in scoring at just 20.6 points per game. Their inability to convert on third down (35.5%) was a major issue, as was their run game, which averaged only 119.6 yards per game, placing them 104th nationally.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels is the top returning passer for Stanford, coming off a season in which he threw for 2,247 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Sedrick Irvin, who rushed for 113 yards, is the top returning running back, and Elic Ayomanor, who caught 62 passes for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns, is the leading returning receiver for the Cardinal.

Stanford’s defense struggled last season, allowing 37.7 points per game. They had a tough time stopping the run, giving up 164.9 rushing yards per game, which ranked 117th in the nation. In the passing game, they allowed nearly 300 yards per game (298), and opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 108.5. Overall, the Cardinal defense finished the season ranked 97th in the country.