This line is plummeting like a rock. I grabbed it at +14.5 -110 just now. The "hook" may come in handy, and I'm happy I didn't have to pay for it.
Stanford QB Kevin Hogan is a game time decision. He hasn't practiced the whole week due to the severely sprained ankle he suffered during the USC game. I suspect given the short week after last Saturday's emotional victory over USC, he's still pretty gimpy. Will David Shaw take a chance of Hogan tweaking it even more on Reser Stadium's FieldTurf, a brand of artificial turf playing surface? He may be prudent to sit Hogan down, as the meat of Stanford's PAC-12 schedule approaches. If Hogan starts, I expect Oregon State to blitz him and make him run on that bad wheel.
I also believe Stanford may suffer a bit of a letdown after that emotional victory at USC. Playing on a Friday night at a jacked up Reser Stadium during the first week of school will give Stanford all they can handle in terms of crowd noise and general student body ruckus. Granted, there's a clear disparity in talent level between these two football programs, but I see Oregon State head coach Gary Anderson having his kids pumped up and ready for this game. Plenty of superior talented football teams have come to Corvallis and either been upset or had close calls. I'm not saying Stanford will be upset, but I see the scrappy Beavers hanging tough with the Cardinal. I'll say the final score will be 24-14 or thereabouts. Margin of victory will be between 10 to 13 points, WITHIN the current number of 14.5 IMO.
Good luck to everyone, and enjoy the game. It should be a fun one to watch!
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