[3:00 PM] Colorado @ Stanford

Who will WIN this matchup?

Colorado Buffaloes (5-2)

@ Stanford Cardinal (4-2)

 

Current odds:

Colorado Buffaloes: (-102)

Stanford Cardinal: (-118)

 

• ESPN simulations have Stanford as 54.2% favorites to win the game.

• 57% of sports bets are currently on Colorado to win as (-102) underdogs.

• After a 3-0 start, the Cardinal squeaked out a win last week at Notre Dame to avoid a three-game skid while the Buffaloes have won three of their last four and are tied for the Pac-12 South Division lead after spending their first five seasons in the basement.

• Stanford is dealing with a rash of key injuries, none bigger than the reported knee ailment which sidelined Pac-12 leading rusher/total-offense leader Christian McCaffrey last week in South Bend, and it could come down to game-time decision Saturday.

• Colorado, meanwhile, is coming off a 40-16 rout of Arizona State and is on the verge of becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2007.

• The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12 and 14th nationally with an average of 515.3 yards of total offense per game after rolling up 580 against the Sun Devils, including 219 rushing yards and three touchdowns for tailback Phillip Lindsay, the Pac-12’s Offensive Player of the Week. Senior quarterback Sefo Liufau also returned to the starting lineup after missing three starts with a sprained ankle and he added 303 yards of total offense and a rushing score.

• Without McCaffrey last week, sophomore tailback Bryce Love filled in nicely with 129 rushing yards and the game-deciding fourth-quarter TD and two-point conversion in his first start. The Cardinal’s passing game with senior quarterback Ryan Burns, meanwhile, is still shaky as they rank second-to-last in the conference with 158.5 yards per game and five TD passes, and the offense likely will be without versatile offensive lineman David Bright and starting fullback Daniel Marx due to injuries.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Colorado Buffaloes

Confidence: 5/10

Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Previous Pick
Next Pick