SAN DIEGO ST vs STANFORD
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, August 31, 2018
Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -14.5
PREDICTION: STANFORD , SAN DIEGO ST

Oddsmakers currently have the STANFORD listed as -14.5 point favorites versus the SAN DIEGO ST, while the game’s total is sitting at 49.

Most fans expected Stanford running back Bryce Love to be in the NFL this week, but instead the scholar-athlete will be in the lineup Friday when the 13th-ranked Cardinal hosts San Diego State in the season opener for both teams. Love returns for his senior season after leading all Power 5 running backs last year in yards rushing (2,118), yards per carry (8.1) and 100-yard games (12).

Stanford won the Pac-12 North for the fourth time in the past six seasons last year and returns 18 starters, including Love, the Heisman Trophy runner-up who finished with 19 touchdowns and had 13 rushes of at least 50 yards. “I’ve never seen anything like what Bryce did last year,” coach David Shaw told reporters. “We don’t want to take it for granted. We try not to, but you end up doing it. At some point in the game, he’s going to leave everybody behind and we line up for a PAT.” The loaded Cardinal offense also features their top four receivers from last year and junior quarterback K.J. Costello, who took over as the starter midway through last season. Stanford is looking to avenge last year’s 20-17 loss to San Diego State, which has relied on its stellar running game to go 32-9 over the past three seasons.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Stanford -14.5

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE (2017: 10-3): The Aztecs have had back-to-back 2,000-yard rushers in D.J. Pumphrey and Rashaad Penny and could extend the streak with Juwan Washington, who will receive a heavy workload after rushing for 759 yards seven touchdowns last season. Senior quarterback Christian Chapman returns behind a strong offensive line for the Aztecs, who were picked to finish second in the West Division of the Mountain West. San Diego State ranked 21st nationally in scoring defense last season and returns a strong secondary led by safety Tariq Thompson, who finished with five interceptions.

ABOUT STANFORD (2017: 9-5): The Cardinal was picked to finish second in the North Division of the Pac-12 behind Washington but could surprise if they’re able to answer questions on the defensive line, where sophomore Jovan Swann is hoping to build on a strong performance in the Pac-12 championship game. Costello has plenty of weapons on offense with receivers JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Trenton Irwin and tight ends Kaden Smith and Colby Parkinson primed for big seasons. Stanford has allowed only nine sacks over the past 10 games and will be strong up front again with tackle Walker Little and guard Nate Herbig leading the way.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Stanford has won its last 10 home openers, including last season’s 58-34 victory over UCLA.

2. San Diego State has won three consecutive games against Pac-12 teams, beating California (2016), winning at Arizona State (2017) and downing Stanford (2017).

3. Stanford is 14-0 at home under Shaw against non-conference opponents.

PREDICTION: Stanford 31, San Diego State 17

The post SAN DIEGO ST vs. STANFORD 8/31/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

San Diego State Aztecs vs. Houston Cougars
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, December 17, 2016
Where: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC.
LINE: Houston -3.
PREDICTION: Houston 47, San Diego State 45

Oddsmakers currently have the Cougars listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Aztecs, while the game’s total is sitting at 53.

LAS VEGAS — Standing 5 feet 9 and weighing 165 pounds, Donnel Pumphrey was considered too small to play running back by many schools coming out of Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas.

Rivals.com rated Pumphrey the fourth-best prospect in the state of Nevada. Scout.com gave him a two-star ranking. San Diego State had to beat out schools such as Oregon State, Duke and lukewarm interest from hometown UNLV to garner his services.

But the spotlight will be a big one shinning on Pumphrey in the 25th annual Las Vegas Bowl when Mountain West champion San Diego State (10-3) plays Houston (9-3) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Sam Boyd Stadium, only an 18-mile drive from Pumphrey’s old high school.

Pumphrey (6,290 yards) needs 108 yards to surpass Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne (6,397) as the all-time leading career rusher in FBS history.

Dayne, speaking on the Wisconsin State Journal’s “The Red Zone” podcast last month, said he believes he’s getting shortchanged however.

“He’s gonna have (an asterisk) by his name if he breaks the record anyway,” said Dayne, who starred at Wisconsin from 1996-1999. “They didn’t use none of my bowl games.”

Valid point. The NCAA began counting bowl games toward regular season and career statistical totals in 2002, but it did not go back and add bowl totals for players who played before 2002. If it had, Dayne’s total, counting bowl games, would be 7,125, including 200 yards in the 2000 Rose Bowl.

“Records are made to be broken,” Dayne said. “Good luck to him, and I wish him the best.”

Pumphrey, a first team All-American by Walter Camp and Sports Illustrated, ranks second in the country in rushing yards (2,018), rushing yards per game (155.2) and all-purpose yards (2,229) despite not playing in the fourth quarter in four of the past seven games. He is the only player in NCAA history with at least 5,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards.

Despite all those glossy numbers, he wasn’t one of five players invited to New York for the recent Heisman Trophy ceremony, another reason for him to play with a chip on his shoulder.

“I’m very disappointed. I think he deserves to be there,” San Diego State coach Rocky Long said last week. “I knew all along that it was a long shot because of a lot of things, us being a non-Power 5 program and being on the West Coast. Those are two big deterrents for him being invited, but it’s very disappointing. But he’s the Heisman winner in our minds and heart.”

Houston promoted offensive coordinator Major Applewhite to become coach after Tom Herman departed to become Texas coach. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, who had been serving as the interim coach since Herman accepted the Texas job Nov. 26, assumes his usual duties as defensive coordinator and then is expected to join Herman at Texas.

The Cougars, who opened the season with a 33-23 upset of eventual Big 12 champion Oklahoma and also stunned then-No. 5-ranked Louisville and Heisman winner Lamar Jackson 36-10, saw their bid for a second straight New Year’s Six bowl berth go by the wayside when they lost to Navy 46-40 midway through the season.

Houston also lost to SMU and Memphis and finished fourth (5-3) in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference.

Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is playing the final game of his spectacular career and ranks fifth in school history in passing touchdowns (52) and passing yardage (8,476). Ward accounted for 31 touchdowns (22 passing, nine rushing) this season while throwing for 3,328 yards and rushing for 518 despite battling a shoulder injury.

Houston’s rushing defense, led by freshman nose tackle Ed Oliver (19.5 tackles for loss, five sacks) and senior outside linebacker Steven Taylor (72 tackles, 8.5 sacks), ranks third in the nation at 97.9 yards per game which makes Pumphrey’s quest to break Dayne’s rushing mark even more interesting. The Cougars limited opponents to 22.6 points per game.

Senior cornerback Damontae Kazee (seven interceptions this season, school-record 17 in his career) and senior outside linebacker Calvin Munson (team-best 108 tackles) lead San Diego State’s defense. Kazee is the first cornerback in Mountain West history to win the defensive player-of-the-year award twice and the fifth player overall, joining Tank Carder (2010-11 at TCU), Jerry Hughes (2008-09 at TCU), Eric Weddle (2005-06 at Utah) and Kirk Morrison (2003-04 at San Diego State).

The post San Diego State Aztecs vs. Houston Cougars ST Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.