Since head coach Gary Patterson took the helm, the TCU Horned Frogs have a bowl game record of 9-6. Under head coach David Shaw, the Stanford Cardinal are 4-2 in college football bowls. In what is expected to be one of the more entertaining bowl games of the 2017-18 season, Stanford meets TCU in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday, December 28 at Alamo dome in San Antonio. Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the Stanford Cardinal vs TCU Horned Frogs Alamo Bowl Game on Dec 28 2017
Where: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
When: Thursday, December 28 2017, 9:00 PM EST
Line: Stanford Cardinal (+2.5) vs TCU Horned Frogs (-2.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Stanford Cardinal +2.5 (9-4)
The Stanford Cardinal had a questionable start to the season, going just 1-2 from the get-go. But they turned it around quick as they went on to win eight of their following nine games, taking out Washington and Notre Dame along the way towards capturing yet another Pac-12 North title. Things didn’t go so well in the Pac-12 championship game where they lost 31-28 to USC. On the plus side, they still find themselves playing in a bowl, a feat they have accomplished for nine seasons straight.
During that conference title game, the Stanford Cardinal trailed the Trojans by double digits more than most sportsbooks would have predicted, but pulled to within a three point differential on three occasions. They even had a chance to take the lead at the midpoint of the fourth quarter but was stopped at fourth-and-goal, just one single yard from the USC end zone. That loss left Stanford with a 9-4 overall record this season (7-2 in conference) but it is worth noting that the Cardinal are 5-2 with QB KJ Costello taking the majority of the snaps.
Betting on the vs TCU Horned Frogs -2.5 (10-3)
The TCU Horned Frogs jumped to a 7-0 record at the start of the season, then went on to lose two of three before bouncing back to win their final two games to secure a spot in the Big 12 championship game. But that championship game against Oklahoma worked in the Sooners favor in a big way, with a final score of 41-17. Regardless, TCU finds themselves in a bowl for the third season straight.
In the meeting between the Frogs and the Sooners, TCU trailed 17-0 in the second quarter, then got two scores to make it 17-14, yet came up empty from there on in. That game left TCU with an 0-2 record against a College Football Playoff-bound Oklahoma, even though the were 10-1 against every other program in their way. TCU has also outrushed eight of its last 10 foes.
Writer’s Prediction
Statistically, TCU owns has the edge with respect to both offense and defense, but the Cardinal played a somewhat tougher schedule in 2017. The Cardinal are also welcoming back an “in-form” running back Bryce Love who was hampered by bad ankles in the latter half of the season. With a full four weeks off, Love will be putting up some yards for Stanford, elevating them from their slight underdog status to take the win. Smart money here takes the Cardinal.
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