Beavers vs. Cardinal NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The No. 11 Oregon State Beavers are set to travel south to take on the No. 14 Stanford Cardinal in what could be one of the more tightly contested football games this weekend. Both teams are coming off victories, and both teams are looking to finish the year in the top 14 for an at-large bid if they are unable to capture a Pac-12 championship this season.
No. 11 Oregon Sstate Beavers (7-1) vs No. 14 Stanford Cardinal (7-2)
Saturday November 10, 2012
Cardinal Stadium, STANFORD, CALIF.
3:00 PM ET
Moneyline: Stanford -190, Oregon State +165 TopBet.eu
Spread: Stanford -4.5
O/U: 45
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Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers quarterback Cody Vaz started a bit shaky in last week’s game against Arizona State, but he ended up turning things around and throwing for 267 yards and three touchdowns (with one interception). The Beavers have had a magical season, and fans can’t help but think where they’d be today if only they’d played Vaz two weeks ago against Washington instead of the recovering Sean Mannion.
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At 7-1, the Beavers are ranked 11th in the country. Their defense is a big reason why, as they’ve allowed just 18.1 points per game, which is good enough for 19th in the nation. They are a top-5 team this year when it comes to stopping the run (91.8 yards per game), which is going to be a crucial element to beating the Cardinal. Stanford doesn’t produce a ton of points, but they’ve proven that running back Stephan Taylor is more reliable at this juncture than quarterback Josh Nunes.
Stanford has the No. 1 rushing defense in the nation. Don’t think that’s going to bother the Beavers, though, as the team from Corvallis rarely goes to the ground. The team is just 108th this season in the rushing game, so against Stanford, they’ll look to take advantage of one of the worst passing defenses in the country with Vaz leading the way.
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal destroyed the Colorado Buffaloes this past weekend, and a 48-0 victory gives them momentum heading into a battle with the Beavers. Unfortunately for Stanford, Oregon State is no Colorado, so this week’s contest will be much more of a challenge. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Where this game is going to come down to is whether or not Stanford can stop the pass. They are just 106th in the nation in pass defense, which is a major problem considering the Beavers toss for 306.1 yards per game (21st in the country). The Cardinal have been able to win games by stopping the run this season, but if there is no run to stop, as the Beavers’ attack is primarily through the air, what will happen to Stanford’s elite defense?
This game begins a stretch of competition where the Cardinal are set to close out the year with all ranked opponents. Starting the final stretch out the right way is crucial, and that’s what they’ll look to do against the Beavers this week.
In all likelihood, this is going to be a great game between two teams who thrive off of defense and two teams who have exceeded expectations. Stanford has the home-field advantage in this one, which may be just the nudge they need to make them the favorites.
Trends
Beavers are 6-0-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Beavers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
Under is 9-2 in the last 11 head-to-head meetings.
Under is 4-1 in the last 5 head-to-head meetings in Stanford.
Under is 4-1 in Beavers last 5 games following a ATS win.
Under is 4-0 in Cardinal last 4 games following a ATS win.
O/U Pick: Under 45
Score Prediction: Stanford 21 – Oregon St. 20
