TCU Horned Frogs vs
Stanford CardinalPredictions & Preview

TCU Favored to Win Big Against Stanford in College Football Season Opener

The first week of the college football season brings a highly anticipated matchup between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Stanford Cardinal. The game is set to take place on Friday night at 10:30 ET at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, CA. TCU enters the game as the betting favorite with the line currently at TCU -9.5, after opening at -8. It is sure to be an exciting start to the college football season.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Horned Frogs -353 | Cardinal +280
• Spread: Horned Frogs -9.5 (-110) | Cardinal +9.5 (-110)
• Total: Over/Under 60 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that TCU will win straight-up is 78%.

TCU vs Stanford Stats

TCU Horned Frogs

Texas Christian University had a rough 2023 season after playing in the NCAAF national championship just 20 months prior. In Sonny Dykes' debut season, they were dominated by Georgia and finished with a 5-7 record, missing a bowl game. However, there is optimism for the 2024 season with redshirt sophomore Josh Hoover leading the offense and a strong group of receivers returning. On defense, new head coach Andy Avalos will look to improve a unit that allowed 29.8 points per game last season. TCU is currently ranked 41st in power rankings, with a strong offense but a weaker defense.

Stanford Cardinal Analysis

Stanford Cardinal has recently made the move to the Atlantic Coast Conference due to the dissolution of the PAC-12. The team struggled last season, finishing with a 3-9 record under head coach Troy Taylor. Quarterback Aston Daniels is expected to start the season, with receiver Elic Ayomanor being a significant threat. Defensively, the team's coordinator Bobby April will be returning for a second season, but the team's performance was lacking last year. Currently, Stanford Cardinal ranks 128th in power rankings, with an offense ranked 111th and a defense ranked 130th. In their last three matchups, TCU went 0-3 against Stanford.

TCU Poised for Rebound Victory Against Struggling Stanford

Despite their lack of success in the 2023 season, TCU emerges as the more promising team for a rebound this year compared to Stanford. Stanford has struggled to maintain relevance since the era of Jim Harbaugh, while TCU's recent appearance in the national championship illustrates their potential for success. Under the leadership of head coach Sonny Dykes, the Horned Frogs are poised to secure a victory on Friday and secure a significant lead. Stanford faces a significant challenge with its defense, which ranked as the worst in the nation last year with an EPA per play of 0.210 per PFF. This weakness will be particularly glaring against TCU's improved offense, which finished 34th in scoring last year with 30.5 points per game and retains key offensive players. Betting on TCU, with Dykes at the helm, to cover the spread is a favorable decision.

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