Stanford Washington Betting – Huskies Face Cardinal With Postseason Hopes On The Line
The Washington Huskies’ season will very likely be defined by the outcome of this weekend’s home game against the Stanford Cardinal in Seattle.
NCAA football betting: Stanford Cardinal @ Washington Huskies
Online Betting Odds: Stanford -7
Why To Bet On Stanford
The Cardinal have a very strong case to make as the second-best team in the Pac-10 Conference. This is the team that roared to a 21-3 lead in the first half at No. 2 Oregon Ducks before faltering in the second half against the Ducks. Stanford owns a very physical offensive line and a powerful running game to supplement the vertical passing of strong-armed NFL-caliber quarterback Andrew Luck. Stanford wasn’t at its very best this past weekend against the Washington State Cougars, but don’t let the 38-28 final score fool you into thinking that the Cardinal barely scraped by. Stanford led that game 38-14 early in the fourth quarter before Wazzu posted two late garbage touchdowns to cosmetically alter the score. Stanford had a bye week on Oct. 16, so after playing Washington State – the weakest team in the Pac-10 Conference – the Cardinal should be relatively fresh and healthy for this road trip to the Pacific Northwest. Washington’s defense was no match for the Arizona Wildcats offense last weekend, and Zona’s 44-14 romp over the Huskies was built on the strength of a backup quarterback. Indeed, Arizona backup Matt Scott carved up Washington’s secondary, hitting 18-of-22 passes without an interception and making the game of football look very easy. Luck and the rest of the Stanford offense should score quite often in this game. If Washington and quarterback Jake Locker turn this game into a shootout, Stanford’s very much able to win such a game. Washington will need to bottle up Luck and keep the scoring down; if it’s a calculator game and the scoreboard gets short-circuited, expect the Cardinal to pull through on the road.
Why To Bet On Washington
This is the game that will probably determine whether Washington makes a bowl game or not in 2010. The Huskies stand at 3-4 and are staring at a road trip to the mighty Oregon Ducks after this contest against Stanford. The calculus is very clear: If Washington cannot defeat Stanford at home, the Huskies will very likely be 3-6 and will have to sweep their final three games. Those three games are extremely winnable – against the UCLA Bruins, the California Golden Bears and the Washington State Cougars – but it will still be tough for the Huskies to win all three. If UW can beat Stanford here and enter the home stretch of the season with a 4-5 record, Washington could make a bowl game by winning just two of those final three games, and that’s quite probable.
With this in mind, expect the Huskies to go all-out in an attempt to upset Stanford. Jake Locker was magnificent in a 35-34 double-overtime win over a solid Oregon State Beavers team on Oct. 16, and with this game being played in the late afternoon hours – it will end under the lights in Seattle – the home-field advantage offered by Husky Stadium should increase a little bit for coach Steve Sarkisian’s team. Will it increase enough for Washington to win? Very possibly so. Andrew Luck wilted in his last trip to the Pacific Northwest when his Stanford offense got shut out in the second half at Oregon. Yes, Oregon is a better team than Washington, but Oregon’s defense really isn’t all that great. Stanford should have been able to dent the scoreboard a few times at Oregon, so the Cardinal’s inability to do so raises questions about how they’ll handle the road environment they’re about to face. Washington can definitely pull off what would be a definite upset, but certainly not a titanic shocker.
How The Game Will Play Out
Washington won’t stop the Stanford offense, and Andrew Luck will move the ball in the second half. Washington’s win over Oregon State was in large part due to a pair of critical interceptions thrown by Oregon State quarterback Ryan Katz. Don’t expect Luck to make those mistakes, as Stanford wins this game in a track meet. Expect something like 49-38 in Seattle.
Stanford Washington Betting Pick: Stanford -7.5
