The Stanford Cardinal head to the East Coast to play the No. 17 Clemson Tigers for their second consecutive ACC road game.
It will never feel normal that Stanford is competing on the other side of the North American continent, but everything is weird in college football nowadays. And hey, it's worked out for the Cardinal so far. They are undefeated all-time in ACC play after beating Syracuse on the road last Friday.
Will Stanford prove that the West Coast is the Best Coast once again, or is Clemson too big of a challenge? Find out in my Stanford vs. Clemson prediction.
Stanford vs Clemson Prediction
- Stanford vs Clemson Pick: Clemson -21.5
My Stanford vs Clemson best bet is on the Tigers to cover, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Stanford vs Clemson Odds
| Stanford Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21.5 -110 | 58 -108o / -112u | +1000 |
| Clemson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21.5 -110 | 58 -108o / -112u | -1800 |
- Stanford vs Clemson Point Spread: Stanford +21.5 (-110) · Clemson -21.5 (-110)
- Stanford vs Clemson Total: Over/Under 57.5
- Stanford vs Clemson Moneyline: Stanford +1000 · Clemson -1700
Stanford vs Clemson Preview
Stanford Cardinal Betting Preview: Don't Trust This Defense
Stanford's Friday night road win over Syracuse was very impressive after how bad the Cardinal were last year. I certainly didn't see it coming, but they clearly earned the win by getting a pick-six and holding the Orange to 1.5 yards per carry.
Stanford's run game was even more impressive. Despite ranking 91st in Rush Success Rate, Cardinal running backs Chris Davis Jr. and Micah Ford had 17 carries for 126 yards vs. Syracuse, averaging 7.4 yards per carry.
Even though nobody is expecting that rushing production against a stingy defense like Clemson's, it's a big improvement from Stanford's first two games, where it couldn't crack four yards per carry.
However, the Cardinal pass game is still average and ranks 69th in Pass Success Rate. Quarterback Ashton Daniels deserves credit for a game-winning drive against the Orange, but his final stat line of 178 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions shows he didn't play great. That can't be said for wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, who had a sick one-handed touchdown grab in the win and made a 27-yard reception on the final scoring drive. He's the best wide receiver on either team in this game.
While Stanford's defense took some steps forward against Syracuse, I still don't trust this unit. The Cardinal rank 87th in Rush Success Rate allowed and 99th in Pass Success Rate allowed, which doesn't exactly seem like the toughest challenge for Clemson.
Clemson Tigers Betting Preview: Are the Tigers Back?
It turns out that getting destroyed by Georgia in a "neutral site" game in Atlanta doesn't make you a bad team! Just ask the 2022 Oregon Ducks that finished No. 15 in the final College Football Playoff poll.
Of course, the goal at Clemson is to finish ranked higher than that, but you get the point.
Since that ugly loss to Georgia, the Tigers beat Appalachian State 66-20, then walloped NC State 59-35 in a game that was much more of a blowout than the final score indicates.
Clemson's overall talent advantage is shining through, and Stanford will be the next victim. Quarterback Cade Klubnik settled after his rough opening game and is distributing the ball well since four Tiger pass-catchers have received at least 100 yards. Running back Phil Mafah has bounced back, too, rushing for more than 100 yards and a touchdown in each of the last two games.
Meanwhile, Clemson's defense has been excellent all season. It held Georgia to six points in the first half of that game, then never let the Mountaineers and Wolfpack get going. The Tigers' defensive metrics don't look as good as you might expect, but I'm throwing out the numbers in this case and trusting the eye test.
Stanford vs Clemson
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Stanford and Clemson match up statistically:
Stanford Offense vs. Clemson Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 91 | 109 | |
| Line Yards | 115 | 108 | |
| Pass Success | 69 | 85 | |
| Havoc | 119 | 35 | |
| Finishing Drives | 36 | 127 | |
| Quality Drives | 48 | 94 | |
Clemson Offense vs. Stanford Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 28 | 87 | |
| Line Yards | 39 | 2 | |
| Pass Success | 35 | 99 | |
| Havoc | 39 | 65 | |
| Finishing Drives | 11 | 41 | |
| Quality Drives | 27 | 63 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 42 | 85 |
| PFF Coverage | 85 | 63 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 13 | 56 |
| Middle 8 | 27 | 97 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.3 (84) | 26.8 (57) |
| Rush Rate | 49% (97) | 47% (103) |
Stanford vs Clemson Pick & Prediction
I'm fading Stanford again. Are the Cardinal really going to cover for the second straight weekend on the East Coast? It doesn't seem likely.
Clemson is still motivated to prove it is better than it played in Week 1, and it has a significant talent advantage over Stanford. Don't fall for the hook and take the Tigers to cover Saturday.
Pick: Clemson -21.5 (Play to -22)
How to Watch Stanford vs Clemson Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 28 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Stanford vs Clemson Betting Trends
- Stanford has landed 68% of the bets and generated 59% of the money.
- The under has taken 60% of the bets and 65% of the cash.
Stanford vs Clemson Weather
