As popular as the college football playoff system has proven to be, it is still not the exact set-up that everyone wants to see. There are a lot of people who would like to see it expand to 6 or 8 teams from the existing 4, which would allow some of the smaller conferences to be represented, as opposed to just the Power 5. Of course, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish made it in as an Independent last season, but for everyone else outside of the Power 5, the playoffs are a bit of a pipe dream in their current format.
One team that has been lobbying hard for change is the UCF Knights, as they have been about as good as it gets over the past couple of seasons, yet still not really viewed at a candidate by the playoff committee. They are on fire again to start the new season, but even if they once again go unbeaten, they are not likely to be making their way into the top 4. This weekend, the Knights will host the Stanford Cardinal and will start as a 7 ½ point favorite. The point total for this one is set at 61 ½.
Stanford vs UCF 2019 College Football Week 3 Spread, Game Info & Prediction
- When: Saturday, September 14, 3:30 PM EST
- Where: Bright House Networks Stadium, Orlando
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- College Football Week 3 Odds: UCF -7.5 (Total 61)
Arizona State vs Michigan State 2019 College Football Week 3 Odds & Pick
Weather Forecast
- Thunderstorms: 29°C/84°F
- Humidity: 75%
- Precipitation: 80%
- Cloud Cover: 81%
- Wind: 14 mph E
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Stanford Cardinal?
Looking at their 17-7 win over Northwestern in Week 1 of the season, the feeling was that Stanford would be solid on defense and very tough to break down. That idea now seems to be very much in doubt, as they were absolutely torched by USC in Week 2, going down 45-20 in a game that the Cardinal started as a mere 3-point underdog.
The question now is about which defense will show up this weekend. Given how good the Knights are on the offensive side of the football, there is a genuine concern that the Cardinal might get lit up again. The trends show some good things for Stanford, though, as they are 9-1 SU in their last 10 Week 3 games. They are also a solid 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games as the underdog.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 17.00
- Passing Yards: 233.00
- Rushing Yards: 132.00
- Yards per Play: 5.00
- Points per Game: 7.00
- Passing Yards: 117.00
- Rushing Yards: 93.00
- Yards per Play: 3.50
Why bet on the UCF Knights?
Say what you want about the UCF Knights and their claims that they should be National Champions, you cannot deny that they have been an absolute juggernaut over the last 2 seasons. They come into this weekend with just 1 loss in their last 20 games, with that one coming in a bow game against a very good LSU team.
It’s not just how often they win, it’s also the way in which they go about it. Through the opening 2 weeks of this season, the Knights are averaging a staggering 55 points per game, while only giving up a total of 14 points in those 2 outings. At home, this team has now won 16 straight games, and while they score a lot, they have seen the UNDER hit in 9 of their last 12 games overall.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 62.00
- Passing Yards: 356.00
- Rushing Yards: 338.00
- Yards per Play: 7.38
- Points per Game: 0.00
- Passing Yards: 92.00
- Rushing Yards: 4.00
- Yards per Play: 1.57
Ohio State vs Indiana 2019 College Football Spread, Analysis & Prediction
Stanford vs UCF 2019 College Football Week 3 Betting Trends
- Cardinal are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played in week 3
- Cardinal are 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games when playing as the underdog
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Stanford’s last 10 games played on a Saturday
- Knights are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games played in September
- Knights are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Central Florida’s last 12 games
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Stanford vs UCF
I have a feeling that we are not going to see the under hit in this one, as I think the Cardinal will be able to generate some offense here. That said, it will not be enough to derail the red-hot UCF Knights.
Score: Stanford Cardinal 27 – UCF Knights 45
