Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal Predictions, Odds, Picks

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

Nov. 5, 2021

Stuart Durst
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

Utah hits Palo Alto with a 5-3 record looking strong this year, but there’s an opening for the Cardinal. All three losses for the Utes have come on the road. Stanford hosts Utah at 10:30 p.m. ET Friday night on FS1.

Score Prediction

Utah 34, Stanford 22

Best Bets

Utah -9

Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal Predictions

Two teams heading in the opposite direction, and then some. Technically Stanford is still eligible for a bottom-feeding bowl game, but their season has been a disaster. The Utes are in control of the Pac-12 South with sights set on the championship game.

Utah is vulnerable on the ground and on the road. They’ve seen all three losses away from home and sliced up by the run game. Stanford just can’t do that no matter how hard they try. They can throw a little bit, but Utah’s defense will catch a break and look far better against the run than we’ve seen. They don’t mind running on teams – Utah has the 82nd ranked rushing offense – and have just a decent enough pass offense to pull away from Stanford.

The irony in all of this is Stanford will be behind so early they will have to abandon the run sooner than planned, yet running the ball is the only way to beat Utah. The only other area that makes sense for the Cardinal to win would be benefiting from circumstance.

That’s always volatile and a hard thing to consistently bet, i.e., Utah is on a short week and is just 1-3 on the road. The Stanford defense will have to try and cool off Cameron Rising. The Utes QB missed the time earlier in the year with a shoulder injury but led Utah to four wins since starting.

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Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal Betting Odds

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Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal Betting Resources

Matchup: Pac-12
Date: Friday, November 5, 2021
Venue: Stanford Stadium
Location: Stanford, California
TV-Time: FS1 - 10:30 p.m. ET

Utah Utes Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

SU: 5-3
ATS: 3-5
O/U: 6-2
ATS - Home: 2-2
ATS - Away: 1-3

Tavion Thomas leads the way with 565 yards off 102 carries, 10 of those going for scores. Micah Bernard and TJ Pledger carry some of the other workload, but 865 of the 1051 total rushing yards come from Rising and Thomas. The ball gets spread around evenly in the air, but a pair of TEs lead the team in scoring. Dalton Kincaid and Brant Kuithe each have 4 receiving TDs. Utah’s defense is ranked 92 nd overall – 90 th against the run and 123 rd against the pass.

Stanford Cardinal Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

SU: 3-5
ATS: 3-5
O/U: 3-5
ATS - Home: 1-2
ATS - Away: 2-3

The hopes of any Stanford upset rest on the throwing arm of Tanner McKee. The Cardinal signal-caller has thrown for 1916 yards, and 14 TDs to 5 INTs. They can move the ball in the air as evident by both Elijah Higgins and TE Benjamin Yurosek each going over 400 receiving yards – Higgins added 4 scores in the air.

Brycen Tremayne may only have 20 receptions, but he’s made them count, as 5 of them have gone for scores. He’s missed time and only played in 5 games this year. Nathaniel Peat rounds out the offense on the ground, rushing for 346 yards through 8 games and adding 2 rushing TDs.

McKee has the team-leading 4 rushing TDs despite only running for 36 yards. Stanford’s defense is ranked 156th overall – 203 rd against the run and 93 rd against the pass.

Utah has gone OVER the point total in six of its last eight games. (AP)

Inside the Stats - Utah Utes

Record: 5-3
VI Ranking: 24
Points Scored: 267
Points Allowed: 202
PS/G: 33.4 (34th)
PA/G: 25.2 (64t)

Inside the Stats - Stanford Cardinal

Record: 3-5
VI Ranking: 66
Points Scored:
Points Allowed:
PS/G:
PA/G:

Key Players to Watch

UTAH: Cameron Rising - QB (116/181, 1,318 yards, 12 TD , 2 INT)
UTAH: Tavion Thomas - RB (102, 565 yards, 10 TD)
STAN: Tanner McKee - QB (160/247, 1,916 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT)
STAN: Elijah Higgins - WR (37 catches, 449 yards, 4 TD)

Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal Betting Conclusion

It’s all bad for Stanford especially their inability to do anything of note on the ground. They are 208th in the country in rushing offense averaging just 94.9 yards per-game on the ground. The Utes are also on an “over kick” going over the total in four straight games.

Their offense is starting to move the ball and their defense is just soft enough on the ground. A couple of big plays for Utah on the ground, a couple of stuffed drives for Stanford – even a turnover or two – and we see a tough home loss for the Cardinal.